Last Sunday, we invited the congregation (adults and children, alike) to reflect on what a Unitarian Universalist identity means to them. If you weren’t in church, you might enjoy a chance to reflect on this exercise yourself. And, if you were at church, you might enjoy sharing your own reflection in the comments here.
These were the prompts:
Describe what Unitarian Universalism means to you in six words or less.
List six words or draw six things that you connect with being Unitarian Universalist.
Youngest UUs: Draw a picture of something that is important to you about being UU. What do we believe?
The songs we sing with the children during their “Green Rug” time offer some inspiration… “Open minds. Loving hearts. Helping Hands.”
A couple of phrases I thought of are…”Transforming the world with boundless love.” and “Love guides us. Hope leads us.”
And, these are a couple of pictorial depictions shared with me:
Feel free to share your six words or images in the comments!
On January 21st, millions of people around the world participated in the Women’s March. It was an exhausting and exhilarating experience for me as I hopped aboard an overnight bus from Montpelier and arrived in Washington early that Saturday morning to join what would be close to 1 million marchers on the streets.
Before leaving for Washington, I felt some angst as I was deciding what to put on my sign. There were many reasons I had decided to be part of the march which felt hard to capture succinctly. What I decided on was this:
“Woman. Pastor. Mother. Daughter of Immigrants. This is my body. This is my country. We are bending the arc with love towards justice.”
Rev. Joan at Women’s March on Washington
It was important for me to begin my sign with those identity markers. Those simple words tell you a lot about who I am and what (and whom) I hold dear. The adage from the feminist movement, “The personal is political,” certainly rings true for me. It is through these identities, amongst others, that I engage with the world. It is through these identities that others decide how to interact with me. And, it is through these identities that power and authority is ascribed to me or taken away from me.
For all of us, identity is complex, and at different points in our lives some identities may feel more important or more prominent than others. Our identities can feel very political at times, especially if those identities make us targets of oppressive and unjust policies. Our identities are also incredibly personal and private as each of us is shaped by events, people, writing, art, music, and experiences that form a unique self.
This month, as we engage with the theme of “Identity,” may you find time to reflect on what makes you YOU and how it is you choose to bring your identities out into the world.
February Spiritual Exercises
Option A: A Reunion with Your Former Self
A bored sociology student decided he could learn more out in the real world than by sitting in a classroom. So he picked up his camera and took pictures of interesting looking people around town, capturing not only their images but also their stories. Thirty years later he hunted them down to show them those old pictures and give them a reunion with their younger self. Check out pictures of these “reunions” here”:
This exercise invites you to have a similar reunion with your own former self. Dig through your old photos and find 2 pictures of your “younger self” that best represent your core identity at that time. Then spend some time thinking about what you would say to and ask that younger self if given the chance:
What story would you want to rehash and revisit the most? How would you thank him or her? How would you apologize? What complements would you give? What secrets would you tell them to keep? Or not keep? What warnings would you offer? What encouragement would you give?
Here are two videos to inspire you and get you into the mind frame of reunion:
Yes some of us may wear our heart on our sleeves, but virtually all of us wear our identities on our chests. Our t-shirts don’t just inform the world of our allegiances and accomplishments (alma mater, favorite band or sports team), they also tell the world what we want it to be (https://libertymaniacs.com). T-shirts announce our clan (http://101tees.com/50-funny-state-t-shirts) as well as our class (think about whether that polo logo on your shirt mattered as a teen).
And here’s the most important thing about t-shirts: we keep them around forever. You know the t-shirt that embodies your identity because it’s the one that has holes in it! The wording has faded and the sleeve is torn, but you don’t care! It’s a piece of you. No way is anyone going to throw that away!
So this month, slip your identify over your head and wear it on your chest. Share with a friend why, although the image has faded, you’re still holding on. (New found identities and t-shirts are, of course, welcome as well.)
Option C: Bring Your Identity to Dinner
Identities love to come to dinner! Great grandma’s German pot roast. Aunt Audrey’s pie crust recipe. Norwegian family Christmas and that awful lutefisk. The requirement that great-grandpa’s knife with the ivory handle be used to cut the turkey. And with these dinner table traditions, the old stories come out and we are able to tell ourselves into being once again.
So this month, you are invited to concoct an “Identity Dinner.” Do it with your wider family and make it a way to pass on your traditions to the kids. Pull together your neighbors. Simply, ask everyone to bring a dish, an heirloom and a story that celebrates a piece of your heritage and informs who you are to this day.
One important note: For many of us, our heritage and identity now feels under threat. Gathering around a table as a Hispanic or Muslim doesn’t feel as safe or celebratory as it should. This is part of the exercise as well. Find a way for the dinner to honor the way our identities are under threat; make sure the dinner involves a commitment to help others feel safe as they embody theirs.
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