Dear UUCV Community,
Hope has an inherent looking to the future, yet I hear so often about the magic of living in the present moment. Part of the reason children are so delightful is because they dwell so deeply in the here and now. I think it’s important to become aware of all of the reasons to be happy in everyday moments. No matter if you’re in jail or watching a beautiful sunset, you can discover a million reasons to be happy, from your heartbeat, fresh air, beholding the beautiful face of a loved one, a cold glass of water… According to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, this is it.
And yet I have a world vision of love, equality of resources, a healthy planet, and justice so unlike what goes on in the world. Marianne Williamson shares that those who hate have had more conviction than those of us who love. Part of what draws me to the Unitarian Universalist faith is the community that works to build the world we dream about all the time. May we have an active hope that sustains our moral conviction that there is a light within every being and that we are all interconnected. Look at all the active verbs in these lines from Emily Dickinson:
“Hope is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all -”
May your winter season be as beautiful and soothing to you and your families! Also, if you’re interested, Chalica is a weeklong UU holiday, starting on the first Monday in December, with each day focused on one of the seven UU Principles. It’s an invitation to spend a day with each of the Principles, reflecting on their meaning and doing a good deed focused on each one. See Emily or RE committee chairs for a Chalica packet.
Happy Holidays, Emily Carroll, DRE emily@uuventura.org
805-644-3898
administrator@uuventura.org
