It is the 475th anniversary of the death of Mevlana Jalaluddin al-Rumi. A Sufi mystic, Rumi is quoted as often in UU congregations as almost any other poet. “Come, Come, Whoever You Are,” has become one of our most familiar hymns. What does it mean to sing “Come, Come, Whoever You Are” in a divided and divisive world?

I met with one of the Wellspring groups at the church yesterday. We spoke of many things, among them how to reconcile our first Principle, “the inherent worth and dignity of all persons,” with those in our world whose actions are hard to characterize as anything other than evil.

One participant, who draws inspiration from the Sufi tradition, spoke of each of us having a heart that is pure. Her statement glittered with the Love known and named by our Universalist religious ancestors. She also, however, talked about those pure hearts becoming encrusted and hardened by life, not damaged at their core but covered. “Rusted over” was the language she used.

I found the metaphor so helpful, and not only because I do believe that there are a lot of rusty hearts out there. In my more honest moments, I know that my own heart has more than a few streaks of rust…prejudices and preconceptions built up over time, comfortable now even if they were formed as acts of self-protection.

Hearts rusty on the surface but still full of love within.

How do we break through the crusty, rusty surface? What invitation, what process of reconciliation, what way of being in the world might minimize the chances of more rust and more harm? What spiritual attitude might allow love to break free?

Part of the answer, I am certain, lies in moving beyond pitting our good vs others’ evil. As tempting as it may seem to divide the human family into the sheep and the goats, I can point to no time when that approach has moved us toward the Beloved Community.

Part of the answer requires knowing the “other” not as merely part of the category of “those with whom we disagree.” We need to see the human beings across the category divides and hear their stories. We need to hear what caused the rust to build for them and be willing to share what caused the rust to build for us.

Although this a statement of faith, I am sure that those things will be necessary. But I also believe that we will need to approach those boundaries with a particular readiness and respect. Underneath the rust, on all sides, I believe is hurt, harm done to each of our tender hearts.

Rev. Natalie Fenimore writes: “So often, we are hurt and hurting when we get to the door. We need to forgive ourselves and each other in order to go forward into deeper relationship. Maybe some people cannot even walk through the door until there is first an acknowledgement of the need to say a word of forgiveness—forgiveness almost at first meeting. Our isolation from one another may be so great—our individual and ancestral pain so deep—as to cry out for reconciliation from the start.”

Forgiveness at first meeting.

We need to be confident enough to cross those boundaries as people of faith, ready to forgive others…and ready to confess that we, too, need forgiveness.

I wonder, if we viewed those with whom we disagree as having rusty hearts rather than being heartless, if we might not find more common ground.

It is a good thing that I love Christmas in the church, because there is a lot at First Unitarian to love. I hope that you will join us Friday night at 7PM for the Solstice Service, Sunday morning at 11:15AM for our traditional Christmas Pageant or for one of the three Christmas Eve services at 4, 8 and 10PM. If your travels or other commitments will keep you away, I hope that you will join one or more of the services via LiveStream.

We will gather to support each other in this time of long darkness and to light candles as symbols of the love we will carry with us into the challenges of the New Year.

Blessings,

Bill