“When progressives achieved success in the past, whether at organizing unions or fighting for equal rights, they seldom bet their future on a politicians. They fashioned their own institutions — unions, women’s groups, community and immigrant centers and a witty, anti-authoritarian press — in which they spoke up for themselves and for the interests of wage earning Americans.”  – Michael Kazan, Whatever Happened to the American Left? NY Times

Living in denial has its benefits. You don’t know what rights you value are being taken until it’s too late and then you’re so numb you don’t feel the loss anyway or you’re too busy or???

Actually, I don’t think that most of us at UUFM live in denial. The question is how much impact do we have on retaining the values we cherish, let alone advancing them? How do we concentrate and expand our power to do good? One child at time, one more person feeling alienated because of their theological beliefs finding a home, feeding the hungry…Obviously there are lots of things we do that promote our values. But how do we help them to cohere so that we have more presence in the community? So that we don’t feel invisible or the need to be invisible? This is important work. To promote and achieve good requires a deepening knowledge of the self and others so our work is not done from anger but from a need for greater harmony, more equality and justice. But that we must continue to organize, venture forth with new ideas and programs is imperative for our own mental and emotional health, as well as all those who do not know what Unitarian Universalism means, but would welcome a clearer connection to our progressive values.

Our Unitarian Universalist roots are so deep in what is good in our country. May we be held by them and encouraged to grow more boldy, even when the mainstream wants to undermine basic human rights.