After watching the Katrina video I felt a deep sadness. People didn't have to die this way. When it happened anyway the country had this opportunity to band together and support the victims and evacuees. It didn't happen for various reasons. I felt the floor shifting under my spiritual feet as I thought about these events and considered the pain that I was witnessing.
And I felt afraid. Not because of what happened, but because of my own shifting. This justice work is so important and so necessary! I felt afraid because I could see that this class was going to be important to my future. Once you open your eyes you can't close them again and I was afraid that my eyes would be opened in ways that I wouldn't be able to act the same way again. I would have to operate differently in order to honor the Justice Work that needs done in the world. I feel a little ashamed of the fear, I shouldn't be afraid to be more Justice focused. I would want people to help. Yet it is not easy work. In my distress I emailed my minister. She gave me a UU prayer she had written that reminded me that this work is worth it. And that we are not doing it alone.
This work IS worth it. And it is essential for Unitarian Universalists to engage in making the world a more just place. So many of our principles focus on the need for justice in community. And it is not easy. Religion is not easy, it calls us to make changes, and calls us to community. That is key, it is essential for us to engage in justice work, yet we do not do this alone. Unitarian Universalism provides us with a community who speaks out with a voice. Rather than one voice raging against the wind we become a chorus singing into the storm. This is how the world changes.
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