Looking for the light
in the port of indecision... a time for reflection... I do think
very seriously about some of these issues and what it means to be
a Unitarian-Universalist. I have included some humor too. Part of
the joy of life is our ability and willingness to laugh. Too
often, I take life too seriously.
We
sailed from the port of indecision
Young and wild and oh so much to learn
The days turned into years
As we tried to fool our fears
But to the port of indecision, I returned.
Jimmy Buffett
It is worthwhile to look at one's religious, ethical and moral beliefs once in a while to see where one is doing well and where one falls short. We are so very human. It is, important to question and not to fool our fears.
In
the beginning, God created the Heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light." And there was light.
Genesis
I try to follow the basic principals of Unitarian-Universalism.
The following is the core of those Unitarian-Universalist beliefs:
The inherent dignity and worth of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The living tradition we share draws from many sources:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.
Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.
Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Whatever our souls are made of yours and mine are the same.
Emily Bronte
Visit the stars... It makes one realize our own insignificance and mortality... and perhaps more.
You pray a little more as you grow older
You get religion as your hair turns gray
But you don't need to worry about hereafter
Just worry what you're going to do today
Jimmy Buffett
This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals,
despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy,
devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,
have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men... re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul,
and your very flesh shall be a great poem.
Walt WhitmanThe Eight Deadly Sins...
Pride
Coveting
Lust
Anger
Gluttony
Envy
Slothand the eighth deadly sin is...
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Sometimes, words of truth and inspiration come from unusual source. Here is Kurt Vonnegaught's speech to the MIT graduating class of 1997.
Graduation Speech at MIT
by Kurt Vonnegut
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
And now... the rest of the story...
Truth, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder...
I truly believe in the thread that connects this planet and this galaxy and so,
it stands to reason the universe. I guess it starts with gravity and the moon.
If the physical relationship between the Earth and moon can move mountains
of water up and down every day, then it only stands to reason that the water
in our bodies has to be affected as well. I have seen too many beautiful
and terrifying things on the ocean and in the sky that make me feel mortal,
but at the same time I can feel the interdependency of fear and fun.
Jimmy Buffett
he's the admiral of the ocean
the lone eagle in the sky
he gave me my first sextant
and he taught me how to fly
Jimmy Buffett
Reverend Connie Sternberg on prayer...
You asked about a UU connection for prayer, and I suggest that you speak (aloud or in silence) what is on your heart without worrying at the beginning to whom/what you may be speaking. As you continue, I think that you will find that you are in touch with the deeper part of yourself and also feel a stronger connection with whatever spiritual reality is meaningful to you. The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
William Shakespeare
It is most appropriate to read a wonderful poem by Ogden Nash, I Didn't Go to Church Today. He captures the Unitarian spirit so beautifully.
Emily Dickinson also wrote a poem in Nature titled Sabbath that expresses the same feelings about celebrating God's gifts wherever one is rather than specifically in a church, temple, or meeting house.
Want to know ten strategies for success?
If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise,
we don't believe in it at all.
Adeline Virginia Stephen Woolf
