In many UU congregations, ministers of color can preach about racism no more than twice a year before they are criticized for being “hyperfocused on race.” When I heard this in seminary, I resolved to mention racism in every single sermon. It was a way to use my white privilege to change the norm — because my colleagues deserve a welcoming climate for reflecting on a topic they know much more about than me. And because we all need more education on justice and equity. Here at UUFM, because we reflect on these topics regularly, we don’t need the excuse of the February theme of Justice and Equity to bring it up. Thank you, everybody, for being so willing to talk about the hard stuff year-round. Let’s keep talking. And do more than just talking.

This month, we’re approaching the theme directly through activism at the statehouse, the first regular meeting of the Tri-Faith Justice Team, and at least two reflections during our Sunday Services. The exhortation from our friends at Soul Matters is to “get proximate” and try to see the world with the weary eyes of those most affected by injustice and inequity. If you identify as someone at the margins, this means honoring and respecting your own weary eyes and body. If you identify as someone with privilege, it means creating spaces where people on the margins can be seen, heard, respected, supported. How can our community be a safe haven for those most impacted by oppression, where they are centered rather than marginalized?

One way it’s not going to happen: simply waiting for people who are “different” from “us” to show up on Sunday morning. The perennial longing of more privileged UUs across the country has been that those “others” would join in and make us more diverse — then we’d be able to demonstrate our commitment to equity and speak more credibly for justice in the wider world. Along with this perennial longing has been perennial disappointment that we’re not already there. And, when any meaningful feedback is offered to congregations about why we may not be as welcoming as we hope, up bubbles the perennial guilt. It’s a passive vision of UU community. The disappointment and guilt that follow when the vision fails to come true only further immobilize us.

Let’s try a different pathway: what UU religious educator CB Beal calls “preemptive radical inclusivity.” We act as if the people we most want to be proximate to are already here – young folk, people with local roots and non-formal educations, members of the global majority. We acknowledge that we are an organization founded by intellectual, mostly upper middle class, mostly white folks, most of whom migrated here recently. Therefore our structure and the content of our conversations serves the interests of those communities. To be equitable, we will not only change our structure and content, but be inclusive in how those changes take place. To be just, we will admit when we fall short of our deepest intentions and make amends.

I’ll be giving two reflections this month to support our movement down this pathway. On February 4th I’ll explore what an amazing gift it is to accept the guilt that we’ve fallen short — or even the possibility that we might someday fall short — of our best intentions. “Accountability” feels like a bad word for many folks. But in our collaborative work to create institutions that support thriving communities, it’s an essential building material. Another essential building material is the focus of my February 18th reflection: transparency. Who does what around here? Being clear with ourselves and each other makes our community accessible to those who might take the leadership roles we need for the future.

Justice and equity call us not only to get proximate to those at the margins. We have to be ready to follow the lead of those at the margins. As an institution, let’s offer leadership opportunities — complete with resources and highly adaptable, transparent, job descriptions — to the next generation of Unitarian Universalists. But we can’t just wait around for them to show up. We must be the change we wish to see. This month, you’ll be invited into a process of living justice and equity right where we are. Together, we’ll reflect on our dynamic organizational structure (which you can sneak-peak here) and learn to see each other as resources for the future we’re co-creating.