“Trump’s Presidency has paved the way for a revolution against racism. … Just as the Abolitionists of the 1850’s demanded the immediate eradication of slavery, immediate equality must be the demand today.”
Ibram X. Kendi, The End of Denial, Atlantic, Sept. 2020
I want to believe Ibram Kendi that … read more.
The Universalist promise that each of us, every one, has inherent worth is, for most of us, a bedrock of our religious commitment. We may have a hard time trusting that Good News, but it still serves as a comfort when we fall short, when … read more.
In a normal year, I would be at the UUA General Assembly now. I suppose in some sense I am “there,” though what that means is that I fit in attendance by zoom at selected events between zoom meetings “here” at First Unitarian.
In a normal … read more.
The Rainbow symbol and images of butterflies bracketed the phrase, “All Black Lives Matter,” on the long banner held across the plaza in front of the Supreme Court this morning. For the second time in a week, our highest court delivered an affirmation of the … read more.
We have a chance, here in Portland and in this nation, to begin a process of real change. The unavoidable awareness of police murders of Black citizens and the brutality of the militarized response to peaceful protest have finally pried open a possibility for change. … read more.
Our ministry commits to staying connected with the congregation through weekly spiritual reflections, and today’s comes in the form of a report on the experience of public witness by Dana Buhl, Director of Social Justice, and several First Unitarian congregants who have taken part in … read more.
As protests continue here in Portland and across the nation, there is much that needs to be said. I want to begin with the basics.
Justice has always been a matter of life and death for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the United States. … read more.
Imagine: A Black police officer forces his knee onto the neck of a white man, in handcuffs, lying face down on the pavement. His knee keeps pressing down harder and harder for 8 minutes while the white man gasps and pleads that he cannot breathe, … read more.
As energy builds to “re-open” the nation, the question for First Unitarian is when we might imagine “re-opening” the church. When can we return to worshipping in the sanctuary? When can we open our campus for programming and rentals, for rites of passage and community … read more.
The Lord of the Flies offers a grim and pessimistic portrayal of human nature. The “darkness [of the human] heart,” to use the author’s phrase, is revealed when a group of boys from a British boarding school, shipwrecked without adults on a deserted island, descend … read more.
