Highways and By-Ways
This weeks marks a turn in the liturgical year at the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston. Summer services give lay leaders an opportunity to develop their gifts. (I’ll be spending the summer on research and behind-the-scenes preparation. Sermon posts will begin again in September.) As we prepare for seasonal changes, this week’s sermon focuses on the practice of Universalism as we go on our inward and outward journeys. From the sermon:
Universalism is a way of being that assumes the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Classic, theist Universalists would say that all things will be eventually reconciled to God. Because God’s love is so powerful, the argument went, there could be no eternal punishment. No Hell, at least not a permanent one. Because the power of love extended to all people, it was incumbent on Universalists to respond to that love by building societies of equality and peace. For the Universalists of today—a mix of people who include theists, atheists, and agnostics—I think we can agree that all people matter, and that being a Universalist means working toward a world of justice and mutual respect. It may take a long time, but we have hope and courage.
This sermon was delivered to the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston on June 12, 2011.
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Today, we stand on the cusp of a lot of transitions. We welcomed a new member, we say goodbye to some beloved friends and our lead teacher, the liturgical year turns to open up space for more lay leadership in the service. There are a lot of opportunities before us to practice Unitarian Universalism differently, at least for a little while.
I am reminded of an interfaith encounter I had some years ago on a summer day. I was in the car with a colleague who is now an Episcopal priest. We were leaving a large, Methodist church. The layout of the parking lot was kind of a horseshoe, so there was one way in and one way out. Next to the driveway leading out to the street, there was a sign that said, “You Are Now Entering the Mission Field.” My colleague and I got a good laugh out of it. The sign was a gentle reminder that good works don’t stop at the curb.
We share with congregations of all faiths a desire to take our spirituality with us wherever we go. It’s good to be reminded that we are UUs seven days a week. The geography of “the mission field” works a little differently for us. Our mission is within these walls as well as beyond. I believe we are here to share blessings with the world. I also believe there is no radical separation between “us” and “them,” or “saved” and “unsaved.” We sometimes have different tasks among ourselves and with our neighbors, but the spirit of life and love is the same. That’s a reflection on our Universalist heritage.
Universalism is a way of being that assumes the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Classic, theist Universalists would say that all things will be eventually reconciled to God. Because God’s love is so powerful, the argument went, there could be no eternal punishment. No Hell, at least not a permanent one. Because the power of love extended to all people, it was incumbent on Universalists to respond to that love by building societies of equality and peace. For the Universalists of today—a mix of people who include theists, atheists, and agnostics—I think we can agree that all people matter, and that being a Universalist means working toward a world of justice and mutual respect. It may take a long time, but we have hope and courage.
That parking lot sign came to mind this week because our congregation is crossing a threshold. Many of us are looking ahead to a journey of one kind or another, some geographic, some movements of the heart and soul. Today, let’s explore the question of how to travel as Universalists. I have three suggestions: Share something of yourself. Honor travelers alongside you. Take the scenic route.
Share Yourself
I have spoken before about John Murray, the minister who brought one strand of Universalism to America in 1770. John Murray left England in despair, determined to quit being a preacher. His wife and child had died, and he was deeply in debt for their medical care.
The ship that carried Murray got stuck on a sandbar off the coast of Good Luck, New Jersey. A local farmer named Thomas Potter had built a meetinghouse on his farm, waiting for the time when preachers of a more tolerant gospel would come along. Legend says that Potter spotted Murray for a preacher immediately, and invited Murray to preach in the meetinghouse. Murray demurred at first, but eventually agreed on the condition that, if the wind changed before Sunday to move the ship off the sandbar, he would sail with it.
The wind did not change. The chance meeting with Potter, and the stubborn refusal of the ship to move, convinced Murray that Divine persuasion was at work. After his sermon, the winds changed, the ship became un-stuck, and Murray continued on to his destination.
John Murray’s decision to share his thoughts and talents in Potter’s meetinghouse changed his life and changed the history of religion in America. Lucky for us, he decided to be true to himself.
An excerpt from Murray’s sermon can be found in the back of the hymnal (#704). He said: “Go out into the highways and by-ways. Give the people something of your new vision. You may possess a small light, but uncover it, let it shine, use it in order to bring more light and understanding to the hearts of and minds of men and women. Give them not hell, but hope and courage; preach the kindness and everlasting love of God.”
I think it’s kind of funny that Murray exhorted the listeners to “go out into the highways and by-ways.” The people at Potter’s church were the ones heading home that day, while John Murray was the one sailing on. Maybe Murray knew that we are always on a journey, meeting other hearts as we travel across the landscape of our lives. Or maybe you preach what you need to hear.
Like John Murray, many of us are preoccupied with goals or worries that get in the way of letting our light shine. Share your talents. Let the journey help you uncover something of yourself.
Honor Travelers
In addition to honoring yourself, the second suggestion is to honor other travelers. Remember that, among those alongside us on the highways and by-ways, somebody is in the middle of a hard journey. When I forget that I don’t know everyone’s story, when I forget how hard the journey can be, the universe is sometimes kind enough to remind me.
Cars whizzed past as we sat on the median strip along the rural highway. My friend’s SUV was down for the count thanks to a cracked radiator. We thought we were taking our free day from the UU Young Adult camp to go to the beach. Instead, we were sunning ourselves in the prickly grass under a wide-open sky. A tow truck was on its way, but would take a couple of hours to arrive. Meanwhile, we made some calls to a bunch of friends until we found someone who could find my backpack, get keys, and drive my Honda Civic out to us so that those of us not in the tow truck could get back to camp.
There were five of us, all UUs under 35, none of us dressed to blend in to a mainstream environment. I was glad we had each other for support. I wouldn’t blame anyone for driving right on by this unpredictable-looking, motley group, especially drivers who were alone. The people who did stop made a big impression. They didn’t drive fancy cars or seem to have any special equipment like a super-sized trailer hitch. They stopped because they saw people in trouble; we weren’t waving them down. I was touched by the kindness of strangers who honored travelers along the road.
Back in November, we spent a couple of weeks on asking, “who is my neighbor?” It’s an enduring religious question. My thoughts return often to Exodus 23:9: “You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (New American Standard Bible translation. See also Leviticus 19:34.)
Stated more broadly, we have the Golden Rule. In Confucianism, it is said: “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself” (Analects of Confucius, trans. David Hinton; see also the translation by James Legge). In the Bahá’í Faith, “And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself” (The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh — Part II). There are other examples. I think you get the picture. Honoring the traveler is a spiritual issue.
Here at UUF, we honor travelers with our statement of welcome. “Whatever the faiths you have known or the flags of your heritage, you are welcome here. Whether you ran in here on little feet, or walked in briskly, or ambled in, or rolled in, you are welcome here. Whoever you are and whomever you love, you are welcome here.” We hear it every week, so it doesn’t sound that radical. Actually, it’s a meaningful promise that we make. Let me put it in context.
At a UU Ministers Association meeting this week, I sat at a lunch table with the minister of the UU church in Kampala, Uganda. As an outgrowth of their ministry, his church operates a school for children who lost their parents in the AIDS epidemic and a home for children who are infected by the virus. (According to the UU World magazine, the minister has asked that his name not be published.) While their church is not primarily composed of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, they are as welcoming as this congregation. [Rev] said that, until about three years ago, their ministry was a needed but not dangerously controversial. At the urging of U.S. evangelicals who visited Uganda, though, human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have taken a horrifying turn for the worse.
You may have heard that a law was seriously considered in Uganda that would have imposed the death penalty on LGBT people and severe punishments on churches and hospitals just for allowing LGBT people in the door. That law didn’t go through this time, but the surrounding controversy brought death threats for [Rev]. Police have investigated based on rumors that a welcoming church with a ministry to children must be recruiting kids into homosexuality. [Rev] is in the United States raising awareness about the effects of American interference in his country and hoping the threats against his life cool down as the debate about the proposed legislation finishes. (For more information, see the article in the UU World )
In places where the stranger is disrespected, there is a short leap to threatening the people who offer hospitality and human dignity to the stranger. Honoring the traveler is worth the risk and is clearly taught in many religions. Our version, Universalist insistence on the power of love, is meaningful. People we encounter on the journey may very well have come through passages of danger, just for being themselves. Our spirituality helps us to offer them compassion.
The Golden Rule is basic, but not to be taken for granted. Perhaps it’s mentioned in so many world religions because we humans have to keep reminding each other to do what is simple and decent, but actually difficult. On the highways and by-ways, notice and listen to the people around you with an open mind. We don’t know what stories our fellow travelers bring with them.
Take the Scenic Route
Honoring the traveler is not the only reminder in the air this week about hope and courage on the highways and by-ways. Another aspect of Universalist spirituality is to take the scenic route. The scenic route, in metaphorical terms, is a detour that is unfamiliar enough to prevent boredom, but is probably not the most quick or convenient. Slowing down may give the spirit of love more time to come through.
There is an article in the current UU World magazine by Doug Stowe, who talks about woodworking as a spiritual practice. He quotes one of my favorite science fiction authors, Ursula K. Le Guin: “The hand that shapes the mind into clay or written word slows thought to the gait of things and lets it be subject to accident and time.” (Excerpted from her book, Always Coming Home.)
Stowe continues: “One of the things that can slow a person down in woodworking is the knowledge that what one makes can last a hundred years or more … What’s the rush in the light of generations?”
The writer is speaking of creating objects. I think relationships and stories have just as much beauty and endurance. Universalism teaches us to look for reconciliation. It may take a long time; we’re talking about eternal hope instead of eternal punishment. The scenic route acquaints us with stretching our sense of time.
Sometimes the best way to slow down is to try something unfamiliar. Starting in two weeks (because there is no Sunday service next week), this church enters a season of lay-led services. Some of you have stepped forward to facilitate, which might be a new experience for you. I know you’re already dedicating time to planning. Taking on a new form of leadership is good for spiritual growth. I’ve seen some of the topics on the calendar, and this summer promises to provide springboards for meaningful reflection and thoughtful dialogue. Doing things a little differently means there is no religious auto-pilot. When members share their gifts with each other, you help each other sit up and take notice of the spiritual landscape we share.
Throughout the year, we challenge ourselves to read or play music in ways that may be unfamiliar, to put on a different hat at dinner theater night, to create meaningful art with people of all ages. Some of those experiences may seem awkward at first, and that’s part of the magic. Giving ourselves permission to do something new is a spiritual practice of acceptance. We don’t have to be perfect in order to be worthy of the spirit of love.
Universalism challenges us to look at the whole arc of the universe. Love reverberates for years, like the woodworking that Doug Stowe mentions. “What’s the rush in light of generations?”
In this season of reflection and lay leadership, try something that will take awhile. Try a new skill, return to a half-forgotten hobby, write something in longhand. Stretching time, taking the scenic route, increases our appreciation for the staying power of hope and courage.
Conclusion
Universalism carries the vision of interdependence and connection, a universe where all of us are within reach of the power of love. Viewing our travels through the world through that lens, we might be moved to share blessings with others.
To paraphrase John Murray, when you are out on the highways and by-ways, near home or far away, share with people something of your true self. Honor the travelers you meet along the way. Challenge yourself to develop new talents and new ideas. The path of growth is the scenic route, enduring and beautiful. Speak of the power of kindness and the spirit of love.
So be it. Blessed be. Amen.
