UUA

We Are Orlando

CZ

In the wake of the tragedy in Orlando I have a few words. To the members of the LGBTQI community, those who are my friends and family and those who barely know and those who I do not know. Please know that you are loved. There are people who are saying and doing terrible things, but they do not speak for all of us.

YOU ARE LOVED. YOU ARE WANTED. YOU ARE SUPPORTED.

Do not use this tragedy to hide yourself. Do not let these mean people take away your light. I and many others are here for you and we will stand and fight for you. We love you. We do not want you to crawl back into closets or worse options. We want you to be full of pride. We want you to be full of life. We want you to have the chance to live an authentic life.

YOU ARE LOVED. KNOW that if you know nothing else today.

Here is the official UUA Statement from our President Rev. Peter Morales  https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/orlando-mass-shooting-uua-president-offers-prayers-victims-community

Namaste,
Cricket

our image credit goes to Jessica Ferguson of http://www.onetinyelephant.com.

 

 

We do not lead single issue lives — Standing on the Side of Love

CZ

http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ourstories/we-do-not-lead-single-issue-lives

“When we speak of racial justice, we are not talking about a theoretical framework. We are talking about principles and values that lead and inform the way that we do base building, create policy and monitor policy implementation. We’re talking about building power to dismantle systems of oppression.”

Namaste,
Cricket

February 2016 Naming Race

CZ

https://www.uua.org/re/teachers/webinars

This is from the UUA’s Faith Development Webinar Series

Religious educators are key leaders in our racial justice work as Unitarian Universalists. And sometimes beginning conversations about race can be challenging—we fear that we’ll be awkward or use the wrong word or cause pain or contribute to exclusion. Join the Faith Development Office and the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for a webinar featuring religious educators telling stories about naming race – stories of things going well, mistakes made, lessons learned and how our souls and skills grow in the process. Presenters: Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen, Lauren Wyeth, Sheila Schuh, Kirsten Hunter, and Rev. Jamil Scott.

Namaste,
Cricket

A White Privilege Wake-Up Call | Call And Response

CZ

http://callandresponse.blogs.uua.org/a-white-privilege-wake-up-call/
There is a question embedded in this article.
“How can racism possibly be dismantled until white people, lots and lots of white people, understand it as an unfair system, get in touch with the subtle stories and stereotypes that play in their heads, and see themselves not as good or bad but as players in the system?”

This was a big discussion in one of my classes last semester at seminary. We have to see the privilege and then work towards equality.

Namaste,
Cricket

General Assembly | UUA.org

CZ

http://www.uua.org/ga

General Assembly 2016
June 22-26, Columbus, OH

The theme for GA 2016 will be Heart Land: Where Faiths Connect. The faith world is increasingly multifaith. People are crossing borders of religion and spiritual practice to create wholeness in their lives individually and collectively. The labels—Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, theist and non-theist—no longer define who or what we love, or how spirit moves in our lives.

This is exciting and close.

Namaste,
Cricket