God, Sex, and Politics (10-18-09)

God, Sex, and Politics

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro

October 18, 2009

Rev. Jane Page

 

Some of our most valued members cringe when they hear me or others talk about “God” from this pulpit.  And they have shared that discomfort with me.  I have also been told that others are uncomfortable when I talk about sex or include a comment (or a dance) that may have sexual connotations.  And certainly we’ve heard complaints that our services are sometimes “too political” – even though we are careful not to endorse candidates or political parties from the pulpit. 

 

SO – when I first began to think of sharing today about my involvement with the October 10-11 weekend activities related to the March for Equality, I thought, “Oh my…. I’ll have to be careful and not say anything about “God” or “Sex” or “Politics.”  But then I thought – “No, I’m not sure I’ll be able to present the sermon that I may feel led to share – without talking about those topics.  So when I had to turn in my sermon title for the October Newsletter, I decided to just put those three words right up there in the sermon title – “God, Sex, and Politics” – and then anyone greatly offended by those topics would know about it before hand and could choose to stay home. 

 

But – YOU folks were forewarned and came anyway!  And yes, I am going to talk about God and faith in this sermon – and yes, some of my remarks may have some sexual connotations, and yes – this sermon leans a little on the need to be politically involved to make a difference in the world.  But this sermon is REALLY about LOVE!! 

 

“Standing on the Side of Love” was chosen by our UU association as the name for “a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression.”  Although it is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, all are welcome to join.

 

Now when the call went out for the March on Washington, the folks at our National Advocacy office invited UU’s to march together.  Greg and I were there to represent you in the March and at other UU activities. 

 

One of the best experiences I had was worshipping with other Unitarian Universalists at the 9:30 service at All Souls Unitarian Church.  Most of the folks there were in their bold yellow “Standing on the Side of Love” shirts, preparing to leave for the metro and the march immediately after the service.  In addition to some wonderful singing, we heard our new UU president, Peter Morales.  And Peter talked about God.  (So here comes the God part of this sermon!)  Peter reminded us of the theology presented by the writer of 1^st John.  Now, those of you who been coming to this church for some time know that I do bring out the Bible now and then here at the UU Fellowship of Statesboro.  We Unitarian Universalists draw inspiration from many sources.  And although I do not view the Bible in the same manner as many of my more traditional religious friends, I have not thrown the baby out with the bath water.  And neither has Peter Morales.  Perhaps because I translate the word “God” as the Power of LOVE – for me – God is LOVE, these verses Rev. Morales quoted from 1^st John ring true. 

 

1^st John 4:8 reads:  “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

 

1^st John 4:16 reads:  “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.”

 

This is really the ground of all great religions.  Before we UU’s ever voted on “the interdependent web of life,” there are those who have been telling us that we are one – we are connected.  The Buddhists even go so far as to say that our separateness is an illusion.  We are connected.  And if we are connected in LOVE, then we are connected in the Divine – some say – in God.  And if we get that, then we have compassion for all – because we are one.  John Kennedy expressed this in a speech in Berlin when he said, “Ich been ein Berliner.”  After September 11, 2001, many around the world stated, “We are all New Yorkers.”  When our brothers and sisters are denied equal rights, then we are all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered.  And we shall march together till there is equality for all.  For when we let LOVE connect us, we create something holy.

 

And we created something holy in that worship service last week at All Souls in Washington as we stood together and sang – and we created something holy when we marched to the capitol and sang and chanted.  We created something holy when we did not fear the counter protestors and let our voices of love ring out. 

 

Now just as we connected in LOVE with others marching in Washington and here at this service today, – we have to have empathy for that protestor with his bullhorn that tried to convince us of the error of our ways.  He was acting out of ignorance, out of fear.  But gradually love will overcome.  Now what is it that he fears? 

 

Well, he fears what he doesn’t know or maybe what he does know.  And you know – I’m using “know” not only in the common usage for something learned – but in “the biblical sense.” – like when Adam knew Eve.  Yeah – here’s the sex part! 

 

Now I know that sexuality and sexual expression can be used in bad ways.  We can use sex to hurt people and to take advantage of those who are vulnerable.  But that’s not what we are talking about here.  We are talking about a loving, joyful expression where there are no victims – just lovers.  And I’m here to proclaim from this pulpit that loving sexual expression, whether hetero, homo, or uno – is a good thing! 

 

Lots of folks talk about homophobia – but I think in our country we also just have a complete sexuality phobia.  We get so hung up about it.  Who’s sleeping with whom?  And – did you see who she was kissing?

 

And you hear things like – well that’s just not natural?  Who decides what’s natural? 

 

As most of you know, I was raised here in my mother’s beauty shop in Statesboro.   And these two women moved to town in the 1950’s and both of them were my mom’s customers.  Well Statesboro was a pretty small town then and folks were kind of talking a little bit.  One of the women later told me that they built a house and invited all the church folks and community folks to come to an open house and tour the place.  And they all came – cause they were curious.  Then after that tour, they were totally accepted – because you see folks came through and saw that they each had a bedroom.  Oh, so then they were viewed as “just good friends who never married and decided to share a home together” – and so they were okay.  And some of you know that as long as you can let folks, even family members, pretend that you and your partner are just best friends, then everything is okay.  But heaven forbid that you might express your love and friendship in some physical way!  That is what they fear and hate!  Psychologists and sociologists have some academic explanations for this.  But I’m going to tell you a personal story that helps me connect and understand folks who are so homophobic.

 

Now I’m not proud of this story – but it helps me have an understanding of others.  In the summer of 1962, when I was 11 years old, my parents took us on a vacation to New York City.  And we rode the subway out to Coney Island.  I looked out on the beach and I remember seeing an interracial couple sitting on a beach blanket and he put his arm around her and they kissed.  They weren’t making out or anything, they just kissed. And I literally felt sick – my stomach turned and I had a terrible, nauseous feeling.  Of course that act that I saw was very strange for me and went against everything that my society had taught me.  And my own body reacted in a physically sick way when I saw it.  Now some folks would say – that I felt sick because what I saw was “unnatural.”  But it doesn’t make me sick today.  I enjoy seeing folks of all races and ethnicities kiss each other.  Unless it’s the flu season – kissing is good.  But I had never even seen an interracial couple before – never considered the possibility.  Really.  I had been taught by my society that black people and white people were to remain separate in almost every way – so it didn’t seem right to me.  Of course, over time – things did change, thanks to the civil rights movement and our courts.  And I did get to know African Americans and understood our unity – not our separateness. 

 

NOW – that understanding is what is happening in America because so many courageous gay folks decided to come out – be open, let folks know them AS gay or lesbian – instead of those best friends that decided to share a home together.  And if some folks still react with fear or hatred or they say it’s unnatural --- then they are just like me and my family members, standing on that beach at Coney Island.  We were not evil people – We just didn’t know any better.

 

Now we have a President who is the child of a couple whose marriage was not recognized in 21 states at the time of his birth.  But folks have come a long way since then.  (Well – some have.)  And we will continue to make progress.  But we can’t just sing and pray our way there!  Okay – here comes the Political Part!

 

This past Sunday, Greg and I joined perhaps 200,000 other folks in a march that was conceived just 5 months ago and posted on a blog.  The fact that this march happened is somewhat of a miracle because many gay rights groups initially opposed it, indicating that we needed to put all our efforts toward various state battles.  But I know a little about the “states right” argument from growing up in the South during the 50’s and 60’s.  And I know that some states, like my own beloved Georgia, would never make the decision for equal rights for all back then – and will not make it now.  For us, it must come at a national level through national legislation and enforcement by the courts.  While I support the various state level efforts, I’m aware that we must not rest till we have equal rights for all in all 50 states.  And that includes marriage for all – not some substitute – but marriage.  Some say, well all you need really is to have the right legal paperwork to have the rights you need.  Paperwork helps – but it’s not enough.  My economist husband would probably rather I present you with lots of numbers and data projected on this wall to support this.  But instead, I’m going to share a story.  This is the story of a family from Washington State on vacation in 2007.

 

Janice Langhen and her partner Lisa Pond were taking their adopted children on a Caribbean cruise that was especially for gay families.  Before the ship left the dock, Lisa, a healthy 39 year-old, suddenly collapsed. She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

 

Janice shared this:  The kids and I, hauling a week’s worth of luggage for five, arrived just before the ambulance carrying Lisa.  I tried to follow the gurney into the trauma bay but was stopped by the trauma team meeting Lisa and told to go to the waiting area.  I did as I was told and a short while later a social worker appeared to inform me that I was - and I quote – “in an anti-gay city and state.” He explained that this meant that I would not be allowed to see Lisa or make decisions about her care without a Health Care Proxy.  I asked for his name and fax number and within 20 minutes I had contacted close friends in Olympia, WA who raced to our house, found all our legal documents including our Durable Power of Attorney, Living Wills and Advance Directives and faxed them to the hospital. I never imagined as I paced that tiny waiting room that I would not see Lisa’s bright blue eyes again or hold her warm, loving hands.   Sitting alone with our luggage, our children and my thoughts, I watched numbly as other families were invited back into the trauma center to visit with their loved ones. (http://thelpkids.com/national-media-awards/)

 

A doctor finally spoke with Janice telling her that there was no chance of recovery. Other than one five minute visit that was arranged by a Catholic priest at Janice’s request to perform last rites, and despite the doctor’s acknowledgement that no medical reason existed to prevent visitation, neither Janice – who provided the hospital with a medical Power of Attorney document — nor their children were allowed to see Lisa until nearly eight hours after their arrival. Soon after Lisa’s death, Janice tried to get her death certificate in order to get life insurance and Social Security benefits for their children. She was denied both by the State of Florida and the Dade County Medical Examiner.

 

At a speech to the family equality council, Janice said:

 

I believe with all my heart, that at the hour of Lisa’s death, no one should have been able to deny our children and myself the ability to say goodbye to Lisa and let her know – if only by holding her hand – that she was so loved. That should not be a privilege in our country but a basic human right of every family regardless of how they define themselves. If you remember nothing else from tonight, I hope you have come to understand that even with legal paperwork it is a reality that someone can leave this earth completely alone even though their loved ones are just 20 feet away. (http://thelpkids.com/national-media-awards/)

 

I’m sorry folks – but we can not depend on our state governments to make the changes we need to make.   We can keep trying, of course – but our political efforts need to reach to the national level.  The Unitarian Universalist Association realizes the need for public advocacy and that is why we have this “Standing on the Side of Love” campaign.

 

We UU’s have been strong advocates and allies for those who have been oppressed for years – so why this special name and effort.  Well folks, we feel like this is a time of great hope and possibility.  There are folks in some powerful positions in our nation and world who can make a big difference.   And yet, simultaneously, LGBT individuals are threatened by acts motivated by fear and hate.

 

As Unitarian Universalists, “we believe that no one should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities.  In public (and political) debates over immigration, LGBT rights, and more, religious people stand on the side of love and call for respect, inclusion, and compassion.   This ‘Standing on the Side of Love’ campaign is our attempt to counter the fear and sometimes even hate that often is promoted by those who identify as people of faith.”   (http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/ssl/)

 

Even though I’ve promoted a national agenda today – I know there are things we CAN do right here in Statesboro, Georgia.  For example, some of our folks have been reaching out to our campus Gay, Straight Alliance – and they know they have allies here at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro.  Others are attempting to assist students at Statesboro High School to get a Gay Straight Alliance started there.  As people of faith, we are here to stand with LGBT people on the side of Love.  The Apostle Paul said that “Love is Patient” – and we agree ….. to a point.  But this revolution has been building for 40 years – and we finally have a window of opportunity to make REAL change. 

 

Now is the time to end “don’t ask don’t tell.”

 

Now is the time to repeal “The Defense of Marriage Act.”

We need a SUPPORT for Marriage Act – for Everyone!

 

Now is the time for out Congress to pass legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

 

Now is the time for our Congress to finally pass “Hate Crimes” Legislation.

 

Now is the time for us to elect officials that will be supportive of EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!

 

And now is the time for People of Faith to STAND UP for folks like Janice and her children and let them know we are there standing with them – standing for hope, for fairness, for equality – standing on the side of love!

 

YES WE CAN!!

 

Amen!

 

Envisioning the Future of Our Fellowship (9-27-09)

Envisioning the Future of Our Fellowship

September 27, 2009

Rev. Jane Page

 

 

I graduated from Statesboro High School in 1968.  (“We are the Devils, the mighty, mighty Devils…”)  Our graduation was outside at Womack Field.  Two of my friends and I sang a song for the occasion.  One friend sang soprano, I sang 2^nd soprano, and the other friend sang alto.   I think I remember it to this day because I was embarrassed that we didn’t sing well.  You see, after practicing the song several times, we decided that the range was a little too high for us and we asked our very talented pianist to transpose it a little lower.  And she did.  And we DID practice it the new way a couple of times.  Well that night -- one of us – and I won’t say which one -- but it wasn’t me – was so used to singing a C on the C pitch and an F on the F pitch – that even though the accompaniment was transposed, she sang the ACTUAL notes at their normal pitches while two of us sang the transposed notes.   And we just kept on singing and I tried to smile through it.  But it had to be obvious that we were not in harmony.  Now most of my classmates were focused on the partying that would occur after graduation– so they probably didn’t hear the difference.  We received gracious applause at the end of the song.  But my stomach was turning. 

 

Perhaps this event affected my view of this beautiful song and its sentiments.  We were singing “The Quest” from the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha about the legendary Don Quixote.

 

Since I can’t bear – even after 41 years – to mess up on this song again, I’ll just remind you of the lyrics, without singing it.

 

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star!

Well my response to that song is – “No thank you.” 

 

Unlike Don Quixote, I’m opposed to fighting with windmills. 

 

Now it IS true that I dream big dreams.  Sometimes they are big, challenging, lofty dreams!  But they are not impossible dreams.   They are realistic dreams that can often be reached with good plans, dedicated work, and a passion and love for the possibilities.  Of course I sometimes fail.  Sometimes that’s for lack of effort on my part, but sometimes it’s just because “stuff” happens.  The Buddha was right about that.    I’ve had enough success in my life following my dreams, though, that I’m a believer! 

 

Yes, I believe in the power of envisioning – not because it’s some kind of supernatural “secret law of attraction” – but because our brains seemed to be wired to working better to find the right paths if we have some clue as to where we are going, and if we really believe we can get there.   I’ve been especially motivated by this little book by Michael Durall called The Almost Church Revitalized:  Envisioning the Future of Unitarian Universalism.  He states that “UU’s claim a history of radical ideas.  Now is the time to reclaim that heritage and empower our congregations to dream, and accomplish, new and wondrous dreams.”

 

We’ve had folks in our fellowship’s history who have dreamed possibilities and believed that they could be achieved.  I won’t be able to name them all – but one special person who is here today comes to mind, and that is Judy Holleman. 

 

When Judy moved here in mid 1998, we were a “church in a box.”  The fellowship rented a couple of classrooms in one of the temporary buildings at Georgia Southern on Sunday mornings and all the materials would be carried in from one a faculty member’s office or the trunks of members’ vehicles.  Marge McLaughlin would bring the coffee, already perked and ready in her car.  And it was really a hassle.  But their budget was very small.  Judy had been a former department chair – and those of us who have had some success as department chairs know a bit about organizing to get things done.  So Judy led a campaign to significantly increase the operating budget so that we could move to a dedicated space.  She not only believed this was possible, but brought in her charts and graphs to show how it was possible.  Judy believed it could be done.  And lo, the congregation believed as well.  That year we more than doubled the operating budget.    Now as it turns out, as we were looking for possibilities to rent, the property that we are now on became available.  Judy and many others working with her (and I won’t attempt to name them because I’ll leave someone out) – worked all kinds of magic – and here we are today, in this beautiful building – because folks had a dream, they believed, they planned, and they worked for it.  We moved in 10 years ago and we will celebrate 25 years together next year in this beautiful facility. 

 

Yes, for almost 25 years, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro has provided ethical, moral and spiritual sustenance to religious liberals in southeast Georgia. We view this beloved community as a place to develop our individual paths at the same time that we share our common values – values that are supported by our services, programs and activities.  

 

At a time when people in our community, nation, and world, too often become polarized by beliefs, we folks with differing beliefs stand together uplifting freedom, reason, and tolerance.  Folks, this is a critical time in history – a time when we can make significant differences if we work together.  Indeed, I believe that Unitarian Universalism and our own congregation can transform the world, our country, and our own community in amazing ways.   

 

We can provide the spiritual home and sustenance that can nourish our individual efforts.  And we can work both within Unitarian Universalism and by partnering with other organizations to make this world a better place.  In fact, we are already doing this work.  But we can do more.   And I, for one can envision it! 

 

Here are some possibilities that I envision – some in the very near future and others – not too far away.

 

1.  High quality care for and guidance of our children, using increased numbers of volunteers within our congregation and having the resources for also hiring an adequate number of child care givers.

 

2.  Support for life long faith development through our religious education classes.  In addition to our wonderful children’s classes, I envision folks lined up to lead our adults in meaningful classes designed to help them go deeper along their spiritual and theological paths.  And I envision our young folks in the congregation and in this community having the opportunity for REAL sex education through the teaching of the Our Whole Lives curriculum.  

 

3.  A priority on OUTREACH to our community and this world.  Not to convert them all into UU’s, but to truly transform the world to one that is more loving, and to transform ourselves while doing it.  To that end, I envision our fellowship sponsoring one major outreach or mission project each year in addition the smaller projects we may do.

 

4.  A growing shared ministry including more leadership from lay people and increasing the minister’s official time from the current “half-time” status.

 

5.  Soulful Sundown services on Sunday evenings with perhaps the same sermon or program as preached in the morning.  This service would be especially attractive to youth and young adults as well as those who find it easier to attend on Sunday evenings for a variety of reasons. 

 

These are dreams that can be achieved very soon if we believe we can do it and act on it.  Then there’s another dream I have that will take a while longer.  And that is:

 

Facilities that will promote the numerical and spiritual growth of our fellowship. 

We have a beautiful facility here – and for the time being, we will need to find ways to efficiently use this space.   We have a committee that is now exploring short term and long term responses to our facilities needs.  We need to empower them to think boldly about the possibilities.  And that empowerment can be achieved by all of us rethinking how we can provide our gifts of time, talents, and treasures to this fellowship.

 

These are not impossible dreams and unreachable stars folks.  Can you envision these and perhaps others for our future?  If you can envision it and believe it – then we can do it. 

 

But wait – I’m getting another vision.  What is that I see?  Why, it’s hand – a little on the old side with lots of age spots.  Oh, look at those double jointed fingers.  Why I think it’s my hand in the future.  And I’m holding a pen.  And what is that I’m signing?  Why it’s a State of Georgia marriage certificate – for two women. 

 

And that, my friends, is not – an unreachable star. 

 

Sing:    And the world will be better for this

That UU’s ever raising the bar

Will strive with our faith and our courage

To reach all those reachable stars!

 

 

AMEN

Can You Say HOPE? (1-25-09)

Can You Say HOPE?

Rev. Jane Page

January 25, 2009

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro

 

 

In 1968 Alexander Dubcek attempted to take his country of Czechoslovakia out of the orbit of the Soviet Union which resulted in the "Prague Spring" of that year when Soviet tanks crushed his government. He was put in rural exile on a farm. Twenty-one years later when the Soviet occupation ended, he was brought back in triumph to Prague and was asked how he survived all those years in isolation. His reply was "Hope Dies Last" which is the title of his autobiography.

 

Hope dies last.  This brought to mind the old Greek myth of Pandora’s box.  Actually it was JAR and mistranslated as box by Erasmus in his retelling of the story.  In any case, you may remember that this myth was used to explain all the evil in the world.   And just as Eve’s curiosity was blamed in the old Jewish myth, Pandora (Greek mythology’s first woman) had been given the same curiosity by the Greek gods and opened the forbidden jar releasing all sorts of bad plagues and evil possibilities into the world.  She put the lid back on in a hurry – but only HOPE was left in the jar. 

 

That does seem to be when we notice hope, isn’t it.  Hope only seems to capture our attention when things get really bad. 

 

I’m sharing with you about Hope today because we’ve recently witnessed a political transformation with the election of Barack Obama, one whose advocacy of hope lifted him to the high office of President of the United States.  And with his recent inauguration, we saw hope revealed on an unending sea of faces on the Washington mall, in countless places around the globe, and in our own living rooms.  What is this power, this emotion, this thing we call hope?

 

There is so much information on hope, yet it’s conflicting.  There is no clear agreement about hope and what it represents.  Perhaps HOPE is like pornography.  Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Potter Stewart shared in 1964 that he could never succeed in intelligibly defining pornography, but he said, “I know it when I see it.” 

 

As to hope – I know it when I experience it! 

 

Carol Farran, a nursing professor whose research specialization includes caretakers for those with Alzheimer's disease, says that:

 

Hope constitutes an essential experience of the human condition.  It functions as a way of feeling, a way of thinking, a way of behaving, and a way of relating to oneself and one’s world. 

   

She identified four “central attributes” of hope.  I’m sharing these with you because I think they will help us to frame our own thoughts around this complex term.

 

The first attribute is the experiential process or the pain of hope, the2^nd is a spiritual or transcendent process or the soul of hope, the third is a rational thought process or the mind of hope, and the forth is a relational process or the heart of hope. 

 

Hope’s pain, Hope’s soul, Hope’s mind, and Hope’s heart.

 

Those four ideas kept coming back to me as I continued to read and talk with others about hope. 

 

Hope’s pain was in full evidence in this book of writings by Bishop Desmond Tutu.  The book was first published in 1983 and republished in 1984 after Bishop Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  Bishop Tutu intertwines Hope with Suffering throughout  his writings because, in his efforts and others, they did seem to go hand in hand.  Those who dared hope for change often suffered greatly, many being imprisoned and exiled from their homeland.  And to others who were suffering the most, Bishop Tutu used his and their religious faith to generate the hope to hang on. 

 

As we celebrated the King holiday and the Obama inauguration, we were often reminded that many had suffered while they dreamed and because of their dreams.  Yet hope remained. 

 

There is another kind of suffering that accompanies hope, and that is when our hopes are dashed, when we realize that the goals we had hoped for will not be met.  We hope that there is some cure for a disease that we have, yet find there is none.  We hope that a sick loved one will live, yet they die.  We hope that our marriage will last forever, and it fails. 

 

As the poet French poet Gillaume Appolairne wrote in his poem about lost love:
Love flows away
But oh how slow life goes
How violent is hope
Love only knows

 

With each hope denied, we suffer.  Some even say that the HOPE in Pandora’s box was put there as a punishment by the gods to frustrate humanity.  Yet most choose to hope again, with different goals; perhaps more realistic than before.  And we choose to hope knowing that we risk pain and suffering from possible disappointment.  But the gains must be greater or either we are fools – because we continue to have hope.

 

The 2^nd attribute is Hope’s soul – the spirit of hope. 

 

This is the attribute that Emily Dickinson seems to speak of in her poem entitled HOPE.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

Many theologians write of hope as a spiritual gift of God.  In Corinthians, chapter 13, Paul identifies Hope, along with Faith and Love, as one of three theological virtues or spiritual gifts.  Thomas Aquinas compared these three virtues with his cardinal or moral virtues of temperance, justice, prudence and fortitude.  But his virtues were human virtues.  Aquinas considered Paul’s faith, hope, and love as supernatural virtues. 

 

In Aquinas’ writings, hope’s object is twofold: first, the future good that one desires and, second, the help by which one expects to attain it. As one would expect, God is the object of hope in Aquinas’ philosophy.  (Halpin)

 

This attribute of hope is closely tied to one’s belief and faith.  It’s the hope referred to by Rev. Jim Wallis, the Christian activist of the Sojourners community:  He says that:  “Hope is believing in spite of the evidence and watching the evidence change.”

 

And some of you respond to hope as a spiritual or transcendent presence.  Listen to these two quotes from my survey of members of this congregation and the congregation in Valdosta.

 

“If we keep the faith and remain positive, and centered in our "God-self", then we grow and things do improve….  Happiness is an inside job. Once you realize that, hope remains constant.”

 

 “At present, I believe in a guiding energy that connects all things on Earth & beyond. I feel that I can connect & be very much in tune with this energy so that it can truly guide me to make the best decisions I can. This gives me a tremendous amount of hope.”

 

Certainly this is the attribute of Hope lifted up by many liberation theologians and by preachers who led the Civil Rights Movement.  It’s more than a rational expectation.  And the results of hope are spiritual transformation – indeed, for some, salvation itself.

 

The 3^rd attribute is Hope’s mind.  Yeah, rational thought processes – I can get that!  Like some of you, I tend to lean toward the rational, which sometimes makes ministry difficult – because a lot of what I deal with doesn’t always require some rational response.  In fact, sometimes my thinking gets in the way of my ministry.  But I’m working on that.  Nevertheless, this aspect of hope seems more hopeful, more attainable for many of us. 

 

This is the attribute explored by C.Rick Snyder, author of many books and the editor for 12 years of The Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.  The subtitle of his book The Psychology of Hope is  “You Can Get Here from There.”  Here’s a quote from chapter one which reveals his focus on hope. 

 

Historically speaking, hope is rather hopeless for those who assume it totally lasks a realistic basis.  But suppose hope is tied to something realistic.  As Samuel Coleridge, in his Work Without Hope, put it, “Hope without an object cannot live.”  This simple idea – anchoring hope to a concrete goal – provided a starting point in my model of hope.  IN this venture, I join recent social scientists who suggest that hope involves the perception that one’s goals can be met.  It is how we think about reaching those goals that provides the key to understanding hope….  Neither a goal you have no chance of obtaining nor one you are absolutely certain of meeting is part of hope as I am defining it. 

 

Not surprisingly, Snyder uses an equation to define hope.  He says that “Hope is the sum of the mental willpower and waypower that you have for your goals.”  He further defines willpower “as a reservoir of determination and commitment that we can call on to help move us in the direction of the goal.”  It’s made up of thoughts like Obama’s YES WE CAN.  Now our ability to produce this mental willfulness is base in part, on a previous history of successfully activating our mind and body in the pursuit of goals. But having willpower is not enough.  This is added, according to Snyder to “waypower.”  He says that “waypower reflects the mental plans or road maps that guide hopeful thought.”  It shows the path from A to B.  His studies of high hope people suggest that:

 

…waypower capabilities are based, in part, on a previous history of successfully finding one or more avenues to one’s goals….  As we know, life places barriers in our paths.  In such instances, waypower thinking also embodies the general motto, “If you can’t do it one way, do it another way.”  

 

So action is a part of waypower as well.  Snyder contends that if the person does not have both the willpower and waypower for goals, there cannot be high hope.  Or as I always used to tell my teacher education students, “to fail to plan is to plan to fail.”  And as one of you shared in the survey, “Hope is great. But hope without action is useless.”

 

The fourth attribute of hope is the relational aspect of hope – or as Farran terms it, Hopes Heart.

 

As Unitarian Universalists, we constantly lift up our interdependence with others.  Similarly, most of us realize that our goals and dreams can not be realized in isolation of others.  Our hopes are dependent on and related to the hopes of others.  David Halpin explores the relational aspect of Hope in his article entitled, “Hope, Utopianism, and Educational Renewal.”  He states:

Being hopeful, consequently, encourages outgoingness as well as a fundamental openness towards one’s environment including, crucially, the people in it. This last element of the equation cannot be stressed enough. For hope is as much a relational construct as an emotional or a cognitive possession of individuals. The social psychologist, Lionel Tiger, argues in similar vein, stating that hope is an “essential vitamin for social processes. If everybody awoke each day to announce ‘It’s hopeless’, there would soon be (he says) no plausible tomorrow and no continuous social arrangements”. The existentialist philosopher, Gabriel Marcel, concurs, arguing that hope “is only possible at the level of the us . . . and does not exist on the level of the solitary ego”.

On the survey that many of you completed, most of you were much more hopeful about our nation than the world or the planet.  And 14 of 20 comments alluded to the new leadership in government.  But you weren’t saying that Obama himself would make the change.  You obviously have heard him time and time again point back to the American people and the changes we will all need to make.  For example, on the MLK holiday which many spent in service projects, he was quoted as saying:

Given the crisis that we're in and the hardships that so many people are going through, we can't allow any idle hands," Mr. Obama said, taking a break from painting a dormitory at Sasha Bruce House, a shelter for homeless teens. "Everybody's got to be involved. Everybody's going to have to pitch in, and I think the American people are ready for that.

Here are three of the comments on the surveys that indicate that we are ready to be in relationship with others as we hope and work for a better future.

The incoming President brings an inspiring message that appears to be motivating many people to be involved in change for the better.

I think Obama, while he may not be the “change”, will be a catalyst for more good.

I’m hopeful and somewhat optimistic that our electing Obama is a signal that more of us are trying to work from our love rather than our fear.  Perhaps we are willing to take a broader perspective about what is good for ALL of us.

The relational aspect of hope – or hope’s heart – helps us also to recognize that hope and the resulting efforts of people who hope, runs through generations.  Time and time again this week we were reminded of those who had struggled for a more just, free, and secure world and who passed the hope for that land “where justice rolls down like waters” on to us. 

Some of those folks are still living of course.  In addition to seeing folks like Representative John Lewis and Rev. Joseph Lowery at the inauguration ceremonies, I was thrilled to see Pete Seeger singing at the pre-inauguration concert held at the Lincoln Memorial.  As you may know, Pete is a Unitarian Universalist.  His songs have always lifted up hope for the poor, the workers, and the oppressed.  During the McCarthy era, he was among those blacklisted and branded as a communist and anti-American.  He continued to sing where he could, though.  And later he was able to play a meaningful role in the Civil Rights movement.  Pete changed the words to the old hymn – “I will overcome” by Rev. Charles Tindley to “We shall overcome” and taught it to activists at the Highlander Folk School, who went forth and taught it to others in the South.  Of course, the song eventually became the theme of the Civil Rights Movement and spoke of the hope that many African Americans held in their hearts for a better day.  It thrilled me to see this 89 year old man who had been branded as un-American in our earlier history, stand before that sea of faces including our new first family and leading them in singing:

This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to the New York Island.  From the red wood forests, to the gulf stream waters, this land was made for you and me.

Another reminder of the hope of earlier generations being passed on was shared with me this day after the inauguration when I had breakfast with a friend.  This friend is an African American man who grew up here in the South in the 40’s and 50’s.  I asked him if he gathered with others to watch the inauguration.  He told me he decided to watch from home rather than join the crowds.  Yet he was surrounded by a greater crowd.  He gathered from different places around his home pictures of his parents and his grandparents – no longer living in the flesh.  And he set these pictures up around him and watched Barack Obama take that oath of office.  Then he picked up each picture and gave them all a thank you kiss.  These good folks did not live to see this day, but they worked for it and hoped for it.  And they passed that hope down to their children and grandchildren.  And now my friend has passed hope on to his children and grandchildren and to his students – for we still have much to do for a more perfect union – and a more perfect world.  For them, hope lives on. 

If hope is alive, it does have its pain, its soul, its mind and its heart – all attributes of hope, that which encourages and sustains us.  Is hope alive for you today?  Do you have hopes today for our community, our nation, our world, our planet, your own lives?  Do you have hopes for our wonderful little congregation here at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro.  I hope so.

 

President Barack Obama closed his inauguration address with words about hope.  And I can find no better words than his to close this sermon.  He said:

With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

May it be so!

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2009