This month’s theme asks us to consider “letting go”. The wisdom of the world religions supports the importance of letting go of anger, blame, and retribution in order to make peace with oneself, with God, and with each other. The Jewish Day of Atonement, the Buddhist ceremony of Beginning Anew, and the Christian rite of Reconciliation all offer processes that involve self-examination, repentance, truth-telling, and forgiveness.  Unitarian Universalists are also encouraged to practice truth, repair, and reconciliation in order to resolve differences and restore harmony in broken relationships, as well as to seek reconciliation for historical wrongs. This is core to our practice as a covenantal faith.

 

As we consider our theme this month, I invite you to consider what you might need to let go of in order to restore and renew broken relationships? Letting go is a process that does not happen overnight. Self-examination is a first step toward renewal, but mutual trust can only be established through a process of truth-telling, deep listening, and understanding. Repentance and acceptance of responsibility for one’s own part in the wrongdoing are also important parts of the process.

 

This month’s theme may take us on a difficult journey that we don’t always want to embark upon. We may wish to hold on to anger and misperceptions about ourselves and others because these things give us a sense of security. Letting go makes us vulnerable and is never easy. But it is an essential path if we are to create trustworthy, healthy relationships– the bedrock of beloved community. In these times of much uncertainty, in which distrust and dishonesty are plentiful in our world, let us renew our commitment to building a new way of being together.

I look forward to exploring this theme with all of you in person on March 31st. We will hold our last “Looking Deeply” circle of the year after the service that day from 12-1PM. All are welcome.

Peace and blessings,

Terri