Prelude Melodia Africana I by Ludovico Einaudi
Opening Words by David Usher (adapted)
We come together today, seeking a reality beyond our narrow selves; that binds us in compassion, love, and understanding to other human beings, and to the interdependent web of all living things.
May our hearts and minds be opened this hour, to the power and the insight that weaves together the scattered threads of our experience, and helps us remember the wholeness of which we are part.
We come together to renew our faith in the holiness, the goodness, the beauty of life.
To reaffirm the way of the open mind and the full heart; to rekindle the flame of memory and hope; and to reclaim the vision of an earth more fair, with all her people one.
Chalice Lighting (you may wish to light a candle in your own home at this point). Words by Laura Dobson
We light our chalice, symbol of our free Unitarian faith
Sign of the spark of life in all living beings
Fire of commitment to love and justice
As the chalice cup embraces the flame
May we hold one another in loving community
Sharing our gratitude, our pain and our hopes for our world
For we are co-weavers of the story of the universe
A web of intimate connections and infinite possibilities
Opening Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love,
be with us as we gather for worship,
each in our own place.
Help us to feel a sense of community,
even though we are physically apart.
Help us to care for each other,
in this world in which the clouds
of war, poverty, and climate change hover,
and help us to make a difference,
starting where we are, with what we have.
May we keep in touch however we can,
and help each other, however we may.
May we be grateful for the freedoms we have
and respect the wishes of others.
May we hold in our hearts all those
who are grieving, lost, alone,
victims of violence and war,
suffering in any way,
Amen
Reading from Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are A Part by Barbara Merritt, in With Purpose and Principle edited by Edward A. Frost
The web of existence in which we breathe, move, and have our being includes the often violent struggles for domination and survival, as well as breathtaking sunsets and the smile of a newborn baby. This web of existence is good and evil, comforting and terrible, a web of life, and a web of death. The seventh principle asks us to have a clear and affirming relationship with what is real. We must learn the spiritual discipline of living with respect; respectfully entering into relationships with the many conditions and challenges of this world.
To have respect for all life does not mean that we understand all that goes on in this creation. It certainly does not mean that we approve of all behavior. Surely the interdependent web will break our hearts, as well as restore our souls. To have respect for life itself, for all of existence is to recognize a relationship, a covenant, a connection…. In this faithful commitment we promise to pay attention. We offer our acknowledgement of reality. …
As Unitarian Universalists, we have clearly stated our commitment to do what we can to repair, restore, and promote the web of life. This commitment necessitates the development of our humility, compassion, respect, and a heightened awareness of the consequences of our actions. Yet all of these fine principles are ultimately meaningless if they do not show up in our daily life.
Alternative Lord’s Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love, here and everywhere,
may we be aware of your presence in our lives.
May our world be blessed.
May our daily needs be met,
and may our shortcomings be forgiven,
as we forgive those of others.
Give us the strength to resist wrong-doing,
the inspiration and guidance to do right,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
We are your hands in the world; help us to grow.
May we have compassion for all living beings,
and receive whatever life brings,
with courage and trust. Amen
Reading from Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are A Part by Barbara Merritt, in With Purpose and Principle edited by Edward A. Frost
How do we greet the stranger in our midst? If every soul is part of the human family, if everyone is a child of God, then it safely can be assumed that we will welcome them with respect and dignity.
Are we kind and compassionate to other living creatures? A reverence for life, a commitment to live as non-violently as possible, leads us into life-giving relationships.
Do we attempt to promote and affirm the well-being of others, especially those who have fewer resources than we do? Those who are prosperous and strong have a moral obligation to work on behalf of life that is at greater risk; whether that life is an endangered species, or a neighbor in need.
Are we aware and careful of our own impact on the natural environment? Environmentalists tell us that when we throw something away it always shows up somewhere on earth; there is no place that we can call “away”.
Do we actively seek new ways to reestablish our connections with those people we might have previously dismissed, belittled, or disparaged? Even our enemy occupies a place in the interdependent web.
Do we work not just the soil in our gardens, but also the ground of our hearts; paying attention to those circumstances which break us open, that call us to go deeper, that challenge us to be more responsive to our fellow men and fellow women?
Prayer by Cliff Reed
O God,
the Ultimate, the One,
we, who came here by many different paths,
greet you and bow before you.
We were not just placed here on this planet.
We grew with it, out of it,
yet always in its web of life.
We were many things before we were human.
We were many humans before we were
‘thinking man’, as we like to call ourselves.
We are the children of more ancestors
than we can imagine, carrying the genes
of many things we cannot name.
We are part of this earth, this cosmos,
and we pause in wonder at its majesty.
Somewhere, some time,
creatures came out of all this that could
love and be kind, and recognise in you
the source of love and kindness.
Who were the first we don’t know,
and never can, but we would be like them.
May it be so.
Reading Meditation by Richard S. Gilbert, from The Seven Principles in Words and Worship edited by Ellen Brandenburg
Blessed are the heavens,
for they declare the power of creation.
Blessed is the earth, our beloved home,
for she is a planet of plenitude.
Blessed are the waters thereon,
for they gave rise to living things.
Blessed is the land,
for it is the source of life abundant.
Blessed is the air we breathe,
for it fires us to life and love.
Blessed are the beasts of the field,
for they are glorious to behold.
Blessed are the birds of the air,
for they carve a graceful arc in the sky.
Blessed are the mountains and the seas and the valleys,
for their variety makes rich our habitat.
Blessed are the fields of grain, the orchards of fruit,
for they give sustenance, asking nothing in return.
Blessed are the dwellers on earth,
for they cherish the privilege of living upon it.
Blessed are they who protect the earth and all her creatures,
from the plants of the field to the trees of the forest,
for their reward shall be harmony with the web of existence.
Rejoice and be glad,
for the earth and her people are one.
Time of Stillness and Reflection by Wayne Arnason
Spirit of Life,
We are here as a community dedicated to all that is good and just and beautiful.
We ask that we might be strengthened in our dedication to a better world.
In time of war, when national pride and anger overwhelm the call for world community,
We would remember all those around the world who suffer from acts of violence,
Whether committed by terrorists or by nations.
We go to war as to a funeral,
And so we hold in our hearts all those who are oppressed by forces of privilege and power,
Whose lives are torn by war,
Who are prisoners of conscience.
May we find it within ourselves to capture a vision of a future that can be,
To recognize a brother or a sister in a distant nation,
That we may serve without fear the cause of justice for all.
In the name of all we find holy, we pray.
And take some time in silent affirmation of these hopes and aspirations.
[silence]
Amen
Musical Interlude Melodia Africana III by Ludovico Einaudi
Address Seventh Principle: The Interdependent Web of All Existence
I think it is common ground amongst most Unitarians these days, that we are part of the interdependent web of all existence. We do not exist in splendid isolation, at the peak of all the living things on the earth – each one of us is a part of that web, and we have a huge (and often detrimental) impact on it.
The interdependence of all life is not a new idea; listen to the words of the great 2nd century CE Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius: “All things are interwoven with one another; a sacred bond unites them; there is scarcely one thing that is isolated from another. Everything is coordinated, everything works together in giving form to the one universe. The world-order is a unity made up of multiplicity: God is one, pervading all things; all being is one, all law is one (namely, the common reason which all thinking creatures possess) and all truth is one – if, as we believe, there can be but one path to perfection for beings that are alike in kind and reason.”
If we believe that this is so (as I do) then everything we do has a knock-on effect on everything and everyone around us. I read his words as a reminder and a warning – that all of life is sacred, and it is our duty to treat others (and the earth) “with absolute justice, equity and respect” as it says in the Charter for Compassion.
Unitarian Universalist minister, David Bumbaugh, once wrote, “We are called to define the religious and spiritual dimensions of the ecological crisis confronting the world, and to preach the gospel of a world where each is part of all, where every one is sacred, and every place is holy ground, where all are children of the same great love, all embarked on the same journey, all destined for the same end.” Forrest Church, another UU minister, comments on these words, “Unlike those religions that view the world as a charnel house from which we must escape, Unitarian Universalism reveres the creation and challenges us to nurture it, even to defend it against ourselves when we lose our sense of intimacy with the earth, as the ground of our being, the living web that connects us.”
In her thoughtful reflection on the seventh UUA Principle, “We Affirm and Promote Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are a Part”, Barbara Merritt comments, “This commitment necessitates the development of our humility, compassion, respect, and a heightened awareness of the consequences of our actions. Yet all of these fine principles are ultimately meaningless if they do not show up in our daily life.”
Later on in her piece, she poses some challenging questions, which I shared as our second reading. If we can answer these with active commitment, I think we will be well on the way to respecting the interdependent web of all life.
Her first question was: “How do we greet the stranger in our midst?” And she answers, “If every soul is part of the human family, if everyone is a child of God, then it safely can be assumed that we will welcome them with respect and dignity.” But do we? Do we always? I’m afraid that the answer is “no”. It is the natural human response to fear and distrust those who are “different” in some way – skin colour, race, sexuality, neurodiversity, however that difference manifests itself. It takes a real commitment to respect everyone we meet, to recognise that they, like us, are a “child of God”, and should therefore be treated with dignity.
Her second question was, “Are we kind and compassionate to other living creatures?” She explains that, “A reverence for life, a commitment to live as non-violently as possible, leads us into life-giving relationships.” And again, I am afraid, most of us fall short in this regard. Yes, most of us are kind to our pets, but how many of us are kind and compassionate to all other living creatures? Have we chosen to be vegetarian, for example, so that animals are not raised to be slaughtered for meat for us to eat? Or at the very least, do we pay a premium to ensure that the meat we eat has been produced ethically? Do we use insecticides and chemical fertilisers in our gardens, to the detriment of our wildlife? Do we support environmental charities, who are trying to save the habitats of so many endangered species? There are so many ways that we can show “reverence for life”. But it often takes more effort and thought, which we are not always willing to commit to.
Her third question was, “Do we attempt to promote and affirm the well-being of others, especially those who have fewer resources than we do?” She then explains that, “Those who are prosperous and strong have a moral obligation to work on behalf of life that is at greater risk; whether that life is an endangered species, or a neighbor in need.” Jesus, back in the first century CE, challenged us all: “‘If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” Most of us can surely afford to be more generous than we are, most of the time.
Her fourth question was, “Are we aware and careful of our own impact on the natural environment?” As I said last week, “I think the time is drawing near when we can no longer put our heads in the sand. Not if we want to live with ourselves. Not if we want a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren to live on. Not if we truly believe that exploitation and slavery are wrong. Perhaps it is time for us to take responsibility for the choices we make, and to buy only fair-traded food, and ethically produced clothing. If enough of us “voted with our feet” by no longer buying goods that are the results of exploitation, maybe things would change. Maybe.” Climate change is a reality, and its impact is already being felt, in so many ways, in so many parts of the world. We owe our blue-green planet and all its living inhabitants a duty of care.
Her fifth question was, “Do we actively seek new ways to reestablish our connections with those people we might have previously dismissed, belittled, or disparaged?” And she comments, “Even our enemy occupies a place in the interdependent web.” Again, in the same chapter of Matthew’s Gospel as the previous quote, Jesus has something to say about this: “‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Which is one of the most challenging passages in the New Testament, a challenge for us all. It means trying to remain in meaningful connection even with those whose values we violently disagree with – far right politicians and their followers, for example. For most of us, this is almost a step too far. Yet all “occupy a place in the interdependent web”.
Her final question was a spiritual one: “Do we work not just the soil in our gardens, but also the ground of our hearts; paying attention to those circumstances which break us open, that call us to go deeper, that challenge us to be more responsive to our fellow men and fellow women?”
Again, this is a difficult challenge. It is so much easier, so much more comfortable, to skate over the surface of our lives, where everything in the garden is rosy, and choose not to delve too deep. To ignore or even run away from “those circumstances which break us open, that call us to go deeper.” Yet if our commitment to the interdependent web of life is a sincere one, that is exactly what we must do. As she says, “Living in right-relationship’, acknowledging our common humanity, will make us more compassionate, more empathetic, and more fully committed to protecting the interests of all generations; especially those yet to come.”
Everything we do can set the great web of life a-tremble. May we make every effort to have a benign effect on the lives of all we come into contact with, and on the wider world.
Closing Words
Spirit of Life and Love,
Our time together is drawing to a close.
May we be aware that the very fact
of our existence has an impact on our world,
and may we strive to make that impact
healing and restorative, rather than damaging.
May we return to our everyday world refreshed,
may we share the love we feel,
may we look out for each other,
and may we keep up our hearts,
now and in the days to come.
Amen
Postlude Stella del Mattino by Ludovico Einaudi