On Celebration Sunday earlier this month, we invited you – the children and adults of all ages – to join the King Center’s BE LOVE pledge as one pathway deepening around our theme of the year, “Love is at the Center of our Faith.” In our Time for All Ages, we shared a book that centers this pledge written by Dr. Bernice King and Dr. Kimberly Johnson: It Starts with ME!

We received many cards that day from members and friends who shared ways they will make love visible in their lives and in the world. In the children’s book, the main character Amora lifts up her pledge:

Starting today, I make a personal choice to BE LOVE. 

I pledge to allow love to drive my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions, and honor the humanity of every individual.

We received 150 BE LOVE pledge cards with meaningful resolutions during the service. If you haven’t had a chance to participate yet, we invite you to share a pledge with us now or at some point in the next week. You can email your BE LOVE pledge to: BeLove@firstunitarianportland.org 

We will take the cards we have received and the emails we receive and create a display in our congregation of the many ways we are focused on putting love into action. We will also share it out for those of you participate online only. As we enter the season of holidays, may the fulfillment of these BE LOVE pledges be a gift we offer each other.

Below is the full BE LOVE pledge from the King Center, and it does provide grounding and inspiration for our theme this month of Equity. 

I acknowledge three things:

( 1 )
The violence, oppression, inequity, injustice, and hate in our world has to stop.

( 2 )
I have a responsibility and role to play in creating social change
for a more just, humane, equitable, and peaceful world.

( 3 )
The decision is mine whether to do nothing in this moment,
or to have the courage to stand up for justice.

And I have made my decision.

Starting today, I make a personal choice to BE LOVE.

I pledge to allow love to drive my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions,
and honor the humanity of every individual.

I pledge to speak the truth to power in love.
I pledge to focus on defeating injustice and not destroying the person.
I pledge to support leaders who demonstrate a love for humanity.

I pledge to promote unity and refuse to perpetuate or magnify division.

I pledge to demonstrate a life of courage, care, and compassion
as I boldly confront anything that stands in opposition to love.

The spiritual practice of joining this pledge is a part of our exploration of our core UU principle of love. We are exploring love through the six companion values in the proposed revision of the UUA’s principles and purposes, which include Equity, Transformation, Generosity, Justice, Pluralism, and Interdependence.

May our collective BE LOVE pledges usher in new possibilities in our lives, families, and communities this holiday season.

In faith, 

Rev. Alison