January 2009

From Your (Guest) Minister

BY JOHN T. CRESTWELL, JR., MINISTER, DAVIES MEMORIAL UU CHURCH, CAMP SPRINGS, MARYLAND

(During her sabbatical, our senior minister, Jane Rzepka, has invited a few of the ministers who serve on our CLF board of directors to share this space.)

I was looking through a book on the universe with my children some time ago, and it is amazing what the Hubble Telescope is finding. This is an instrument the size of a school bus in space and it is revealing just how diverse and eclectic our universe is. We now see that our galaxy is one little speck among trillions of specks in the universe, each galaxy different and amazing. Like the lines on the zebra's back or the human fingerprint; no two galaxies appear to be exactly alike.

Then there are the varying solar systems and planets, the many stars in these galaxies, each with differing dimensions. We can see from a macrocosmic perspective that we live in an expansive and diverse universe. But you don't have to go to space to learn the lesson. When you look back here on earth at the millions of species, seen and unseen, you find a great multiplicity of things. You see the varying types of animals, insects, trees, plants, and sea creatures; there's fresh water and salt water, blue water, green water; there are tropical and arctic climates. Then look at the people of our planet—all types with varying languages and customs. There is much to celebrate. Life is a beautiful assortment.

We rob ourselves of the richness of life when we don't see the beauty in our differences and we are not in harmony with the universe or nature. It's true, we don't tend to openly reach out to those who are different, whether we are referring to another's religion, race, or sexual orientation—we don't tend to do well in dealing with those who walk and talk differently. But when we choose homogenous segregation, the full complex ecology of who we can be does not thrive. I believe we are called to a higher purpose as human beings and as Unitarian Universalists than to simply clump with those we see as being “like us.” If we could just somehow see life from amongst the stars we would see a panoramic view of the universe that is essentially pluralistic and eclectic.

It is imperative that we grasp the universal lesson so we can grow to appreciate and respect each other even more. Then, perhaps, we can begin to build a world where justice for all is the order of the day. We can build a world where people use their intelligence, not their unharnessed tribal instincts to solve problems. We can build a world where we treat people as we wish to be treated; a world where the words from Rumi we so often quote: “Come, come, whoever you are,” really mean what they say. We can build a world where people will not live distant and in fear of each other, but rather in community where every human is treated as a sister or a brother. We can build a world without the “us against them” mentality, but rather a world that embraces the “we are together” reality. We can build a world of mutual respect and love when humans “listen more, read more, and think more,” as Maya Angelou suggests.

We must find a way to love one another not despite our differences but because of our differences. As the late Rev. David Eaton said: “May we have faith to accept this mystery and build upon its everlasting truth.”