Dear Ones;
I just finished my third month as your interim minister and am so grateful for your warm welcome. It is easy to see how well you care for each other and how deeply you love this church family. The compassion you show for the greater Akron area is clear in the outreach ministries that embrace our neighbors who are experiencing the economic hardship so much of our nation is struggling through. There is real despair in our town- poverty, addiction, abuse, hopelessness. But UUCA soothes so much suffering, while never forgetting to treat every person with the inherent worth and dignity that is central to our Unitarian Universalist faith. I am so proud to be a part of this congregation.
It is difficult to write a newsletter column before such a major election, knowing that you will probably read these words after we have at least an initial sense of the outcome. Please take a deep inhale and exhale and know that we did everything we could to ensure that people could exercise their right to vote. I doubt there was an unregistered voter in the Greater Akron area who was not approached by someone from this congregation hoping to get them registered. We have donated, lobbied, driven voters to the polls, and educated the public on their voting rights and absentee voting. We did great work. Whatever happens next, inhale knowing that our efforts mattered, and exhale knowing that we will continue to bend the arc toward justice.
As the days shorten and sunlight becomes ever more scarce I hope you can remember your place in the interconnected web of all existence. Remember that you are a cousin of the squirrel, who hustles hard and then takes a long, deep rest. Don’t forget that you too need a long, deep rest. You are a cousin of the heron, who flies high, taking in an expansive view of the water. Don’t forget that this moment in time is just that- a moment. Fly high and witness the long scope of history of which we are just a small part. You are kin to the trees, who live in deep, complex relationships with each other, roots twisting together under the earth. Did you know that trees share nutrients?
When one is sick or hungry, even far away, the trees in an old growth forest will send their nutritious energy stores to the one in need. Don’t forget to nurture the deep relationships in your life, sharing and accepting care within a network of love. Perhaps most importantly, remember that sick
trees don’t refuse the help of their community. Ask and receive with a gracious heart.
The days ahead may be darker and cooler but we will be together, in spirit and on Zoom. Know that you are loved. Pick up the phone, give your thumb a workout sending texts, go old-school and put pen to paper- reach out. Like every creature we are a part of the natural network of mutuality and are not meant to go it alone.
With gratitude and deep affection,
Rev. Kate