Sundry

A Protester’s Prayer               
Rev. Douglas Taylor
June 14, 2025 (for the No Kings protest)

Eternal Spirit from Whom all things come and to Whom all things return, strengthen our resolve as we engage in peaceful protest.

We gather as individuals united under a banner of concern for something we hold precious – for truth, for peace, for our children, for the vulnerable. We gather as individuals blending our voices and our presence into the throngs at the courthouse, in the streets, at the detention centers, outside the places of power. We gather in protest of the wrongs committed. Our voices will be heard.

Gracious Spirit, our communities have too long listened to the discordant voices of those who would divide us. We have listened too long to the loud posturing and bluster of would-be-tyrants and liars.

Grant us the courage to be not quiet in our demands for justice, to be loud in amplifying the voices of the marginalized, the abused, particularly the immigrants and queer people currently targeted by those in power today. May we listen to the voices of those most impacted by harm.

Help us remember, O Spirit, that there is no form of protest seen as acceptable in the eyes of the oppressors. May we be bold in asserting – for our communities and for the vulnerable – the demands we have for a better community.

We know fascism is fragile, relying on fear and obedience. Guide our hearts, O Spirit, to not give in to fear and hatred of those we seek to oppose, of those we would challenge, of those we view as adversaries. Help us stay true to our own values of compassion and dignity – lest we become strangers to ourselves and to our goals.

Remind us to support one another – across our causes and rallying cries – to share in the work of building the better world. Grant us the strength that comes in collective voices calling for meaningful change.

Grant that we may have the endurance to persist in our efforts, help us to remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice. Be with us, O Spirit, in our effort. May Your love, and love for all our neighbors, guide our actions. And may we always remember that the prayer for courage is the prayer that never goes unanswered.

This we ask in the name of all that is holy. May it be so.

Prayer for Freedom                             Rev. Douglas Taylor                       3-23-25

Gracious and Loving God,
From Whom all things come and to Whom all things return

We give thanks this morning for the opportunity to again gather together as a people of faith in search of meaning and grace and a path toward justice.

Some of us here today have barely made it through the week. Life has been hard and we need the presence and prayers of good people and of thee to sustain us on our journeys.
Some of us here today have arrive excited and curious, looking for new ideas and new opportunities to connect and to build something good and beautiful.
Some of us here today have heavy hearts for the suffer happening just beyond our front doors, for the poor, the immigrant, the incarcerated, the unhoused, the disenfranchised and disempowered.

We gather this morning as Unitarian Universalists seeking freedom and liberation for ourselves and for all people. We gather to be co-creators of a sacred space together guided by the deep values of our faith.
We recognize that a faith like ours needs to be enacted, it needs to be lived in action.
We know that freedom for one of us needs the freedom of all of us; that the freedom of our faith community needs the freedom of all the faith communities

We hear our own cries for relief amid our struggles are mingled and blended with the cries of immigrants like those who build this city years ago, and the immigrants who continue to show up today. It is the same cry from people incarcerated & dying in our county jail. It is the same cry from our transgender siblings and from people of color and from the poor and from all those abused and marginalized in our society today.

Hear our cries, oh God, be with us in our difficulties.
Help us to find the courage to face the continuing injustices of our days.
Help us to reach out from our own heartache and become partners in the transformation of our world.
Help us to know, despite the messy complexity of life, that we do not struggle alone, that liberation is possible, and that hope is a powerful response in the face of what seems impossible.

Be thou an ever-present strength on the journey, O God.
In the name of all that is holy,
May it be so.

The Honorable Harvest                       

A service at Thanksgiving time about our relationships with the food we harvest – based on the teachings and stories in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book “Braiding Sweetgrass.”

Greeting and Announcements                                                                    

Good morning. Welcome to the _______ Unitarian Universalist Congregation where we join together in the search for deeper meaning and richer connections. Our stories all come from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” and are adapted into this worship service by Rev. Douglas Taylor

Passing the Peace

Prelude          

Opening Words                                             by Shari Woodbury             

This opening was written for two voices, as indicated below.

1: Welcome, who come in friendship
who long for genuine community…

2: May you be graciously received here
as your authentic self.

1: Welcome, who come in curiosity,
full of questions or simply open…

2: May you embrace wonder
and encounter new delights.

1: Welcome, who come heavy with fatigue,
weary from the troubles of the world
or the troubles of your particular life…

2: May you rest and be filled in this sacred space.

1: Welcome, who come with joy
for flowing rivers and gentle breeze,
for changing skies and great trees…

2: May the grace of the world
leave a lasting imprint in you.

1: Welcome, who come with thanks
for the altruism of the earth
and the gift of human care…

2: May your grateful heart overflow
and bless those around you.

BOTH: Come, let us celebrate together
this wondrous life.

*Doxology (#381 SLT)                      Composite based on Isaac Watts
                                    From all that dwell below the skies         

                                    Let songs of hope and faith arise

                                    Let peace, goodwill on earth be sung

                                    Through every land, by every tongue  

Covenant (#381 SLT)           by James Vila Blake (adapted)

                                    Love is the spirit of this congregation

                                                And service is its life

                                    This is our great covenant;

                                    To dwell together in peace,

                                    To seek the truth in love,

                                    And to help one another.

Chalice Lighting                                           by Katie Gelfand           

We light our chalice as a symbol of gratitude
as we celebrate the abundance of our lives together.

In this sanctuary we harvest bushels of strength for one another,
and offer our crop with the hands of compassion and generosity.

In the authentic and gentle manner of our connections,
we cultivate a simple sweetness to brighten our spirits.

May we be grateful for the ways we nourish and uplift each other,
For it is the sharing of this hallowed time together that sustains us.

Opening Hymn (#21, SLT)              For the Beauty of the Earth

Story Part One                      “The Honorable Harvest” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

(Three roles – Narrator, William, and Robin. William and Robin act out greeting, Robin acts out poling and knocking rice, William acts out sketching and showing, Robin acts out listening.)

Narrator:         William was a young student from Europe who was studying to be an engineer. One day, near the end of Summer, he traveled to visit a friend Robin in Minnesota. Robin was part of an Anishinaabe family and they practiced the traditional rice gathering practice from many generations back.  William was eager to experience a bit of Native American culture.

William:          “The family rose early before the sun, and we went out for the day’s work. Dawn found us all out on the lake in canoes. They taught me to pole our way carefully through the rice beds, knocking the ripe seed into the canoe. It was hard work. But it did not take long for us to collect quite a bit of rice.”

Narrator:         At the end of the day, William wanted to thank the family for including him in the day’s work, to show his appreciation. The next morning, he showed them a sketch of a grain capturing system he had designed. As an engineer, he felt he could easily build this device and attach it to the gunwales of their canoes.

William:          “You can continue to gather the rice as you have been doing for generations. I know that is important. But your way is not efficient. Yesterday, I saw that at least half the rice just fell into the water. It is such a waste. With my technique, you could get 85 percent more rice for your efforts.”

Narrator:         His hosts listened respectfully, then Robin’s grandfather spoke up. “Let me tell you a story.”

Prayer                                                                        by Douglas Taylor

Eternal Spirit, from whom all things come

and to whom all things return.

We gather in gratitude this day

We gather as children of the earth,

joined together in a bond of respect and connection.

We lift our hearts and our voices in both grief and gratitude

We share our grief for the ways our mother earth has been dishonored and destroyed,

for the ways the connection has been severed,

for the ways we are alienated from our home.

We pray for healing and for a turning

and for strength to again flow between the land and the people.

We share of gratitude for the ways we discover and rediscover

our connection and wholeness each day.

We share our gratitude for our place in the circle,

for the sharing and for the light.

We share our gratitude for all the earth offers us,

for the gifts of sun and soil,

of life and the nourishing spirit.

As we wind our way into our culture’s celebration of Thanksgiving, O spirit,

may we learn to lean in to our gratitude for the land

and the plentiful nourishment it can provide.

May be uncover and honorable harvest this season.

May we help keep the balance of living

and give thanks for all we have been given.

In the name of all that is holy,

May it be so.

Silence

Meditative Hymn (#123, STL)                     Spirit of Life

Story Part Two          “The Honorable Harvest” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

(Narrated by one and acted out by two others, Nanbosho has a stick ‘fishing pole’ and Heron uses hands like a beak to spear fish. Later, Fox uses hands to show ears)

Our hosts listened respectfully to their guest, then Robin’s grandfather spoke up. “Let me tell you a story.” Here is the story she told:

Anishinaabe elder Basil Johnston tells of the time our teacher Nanabozho was fishing in the lake for supper, as he often did, with hook and line. Heron came striding along through the reeds on his long, bent legs, his beak like a spear. Heron is a good fisherman and a sharing friend, so he told Nanabozho about a new way to fish that would make his life much easier. Heron cautioned him to be careful not to take too many fish, but Nanabozho was already thinking of a feast. He went out early the next day and soon had a whole basketful of fish, so heavy he could barely carry it and far more than he could eat. So he cleaned all those fish and set them out to dry on the racks outside his lodge. The next day, with his belly still full, he went back to the lake and again did what Heron had showed him. “Aah,” he thought as he carried home the fish, “I will have plenty to eat this winter.”

Day after day he stuffed himself and, as the lake grew empty, his drying racks grew full, sending out a delicious smell into the forest where Fox was licking his lips. Again, he went to the lake, so proud of himself. But that day his nets came up empty and Heron looked down on him as he flew over the lake with a critical eye. When Nanabozho got home to his lodge, he learned a key rule—never take more than you need. The racks of fish were toppled in the dirt and every bite was gone.

Reflection       How we Honor the Harvest            

by Douglas Taylor, Andrea Lerner, and Dylan Cooke

Taylor

Our stories this morning are all adapted from the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer from 2013. The subtitle is “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology. At the intersection of those to aspects of her life, she reveals the wisdom of sustainability as something both modern and ancient.

As the season turns once more to the time of harvest and our country’s holiday of thanksgiving. I invite us into the wisdom and wondering that Kimmerer’s book offers. She writes about our needing to see ourselves as a part of our ecosystem. That we should not merely take, but instead both give and take. As heterotrophs, we do not photosynthesize our own energy. Our role is to consume, to exchange a life for a life.

Kimmerer asks

“How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, to make our relations with the world sacred again? I know we cannot all become hunter-gatherers- the living world could not bear our weight- but even in a market economy, can we behave ‘as if’ the living world were a gift?” [p. 31] 

Do you have a story of how you’ve grown or foraged or hunted your own food? Are you a part of your ecosystem and the give and take that is needed as you consume? As you sit down for a Thanksgiving meal, can you note where the various foods came from and how they came to your table?

—

Cooke

“For much of my life, I have had access to fresh grown foods. For instance every year my family has a garden that always at least has something growing in it or my first job was working on a vegetable farm. For this I am thankful as it has given me a very open perspective to the benefits of eating food produced in this manner and as a kid it gave me the opportunity to enjoy vegetables that many others my age never got the opportunity to experience or learn to enjoy.

Another place I ended up being involved with food was my grandfather’s old garden. It was a project of his to grow some food for himself, an endeavor which lasted a handful years. Over time he began to downsize it as the work began to outweigh the benefit to himself. Year after year it began to shrink until there was only one bed left that happened to be full of asparagus. For him the time had come to let this final part of the garden go. As he requested, I mowed over the area as I had with the previous garden beds leaving his yard garden-less or so we thought. The thing some of you might not know about asparagus is that once it is left untouched for its first two years it begins to be self-sufficient making it become super resilient. This meaning to this day year after year that asparagus pokes its way out of the ground showing exactly where the bed was and during its most active time of the season, even while mowing over it weekly there are enough stems to make a dinner side out of each week.

The resilience of asparagus is definitely something to admire and just one of many examples that if nature is not pushed past its breaking point it will continue to provide.”

—

Taylor

Dylan reminded me as we were preparing for this service of that favorite Dr. Suess quote from the Lorax. “Unless! Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” The path to a better world is for people to care. The path to caring is being connected, being interconnected and familiar with the world.

—

Lerner

I grew up the youngest of eight children to parents in NW Pennsylvania who grew up during the depression and experienced food rationing in World War II.  We had a stove with 8 burners, two ovens, a griddle and a broiler. It’s not surprising that, having to feed all of us, they were experienced in gardening, foraging, fishing, hunting, bee keeping, and raising chickens and other fowl.

Some of my favorite memories are walking along the trails in the woods near our home picking raspberries, blackberries and blueberries with my Dad.  Along the way we’d sometimes find mushrooms to bring home for dinner. He knew which ones were safe and which were not.

My mother loved to grow vegetables that seemed unusual to me. I’m still not sure what salsify is, but it sounded exotic.  She grew brussel sprouts long before I ever saw one at the grocery.  I wasn’t much for weeding, but I loved the harvest, and learned to freeze and can produce for the winters.  We were always taught not to waste food, or anything for that matter – we’d hear, “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

I remember holidays that were packed with people cooking and baking and sharing stories, and I’ve tried to pass down the wisdom and love to our children.  They are all excellent cooks, and one is a professional chef.  Our holidays continue the loving traditions of our ancestors.

Many of you know about John Murray, an early Universalist in this country, who landed in Good Luck NJ near the home of Thomas Potter.  The Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center is still on this property, and is a favorite place for many UUs to retreat and relax.  One fall, I noticed that the wild concord grapes that grow around the pool had a bumper crop of grapes.  My foraging genes kicked in, and a few grocery bags later, I was on my way home to make jelly.  No Hell Jell, we called it, and I donated most back to Murray Grove as a fundraiser.

I’ve been following along with the lives of some youth leaders from my time with the UUA Metro NY District, now adults.  Of course, many of them are in the helping professions, and I’m delighted that more than the average number of them turned to occupations in sustainable agriculture – like

Katie who was farm manager at John Hart Farms, a family-run working farm that offers resources and information to growers at any agricultural scale—from families looking to raise a few chickens, to industrial-sized operations.

Kassandra in Colorado at FrontLine Farming, a food and farmers advocacy group focusing on food growing, education, sovereignty, and justice.

And Tobin in Mass, working with Book and Plow Farm, associated with Amherst College.  They provide high quality vegetables and nourishing education that feed the local community in sustainable ways.

Watching these youth and my own children grow into caring and nurturing adults really gives me hope for the future.

—

Taylor

For my part, I can only witness to the blessing and abundance of the earth. I am not an attentive gardener. I have many examples I could share of herbs and vegetables under my care that did not make it. The farmers’ fields from my youth were a fertile land for my imagination, but I never actually paid attention to the food that was growing there as well. I am a child of the supermarkets and restaurants. Kimmerer’s question drives right to heart of my own living. Perhaps it is different for you. I welcome you to call your own story to mind.

Kimmerer asks

“How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as a gift again, to make our relations with the world sacred again? I know we cannot all become hunter-gatherers- the living world could not bear our weight- but even in a market economy, can we behave ‘as if’ the living world were a gift?” [p. 31] 

In a world without end,

May it be so.

—

Joys and Sorrows

Offering / Offertory

Reading          “Guidelines for an Honorable Harvest”         by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Introduction:   The guidelines for the Honorable Harvest are not written down, or even consistently spoken of as a whole—they are reinforced in small acts of daily life. But if you were to list them, they might look something like this:

Voice 1:          Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.

Voice 2:          Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life.

Congregational response: Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

1: Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.

2: Never take the first. Never take the last.

Cong:              Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

1: Take only what you need.

2: Take only that which is given.

Cong:              Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.   

1: Never take more than half. Leave some for others.

2: Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.

Cong:              Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

1: Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.

2: Share.

Cong:              Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

1: Give thanks for what you have been given.

2: Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.

Cong:              Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

From Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer; p 183

—

Story Part Three       “The Honorable Harvest” by Robin Wall Kimmerer               

Two roles: narrator, Aunt

Narrator:         Finishing her story of Nanbozho and the heron, the elder smiled at their guest for a moment and returned to braiding the sweetgrass basket she had been working on. Another member of the family, Robin’s aunt, spoke up.  

Aunt:               “We know that to over-harvest would destroy the ecosystem. Our traditional ecological knowledge has many prescriptions for sustainability. Our science and our philosophy teach us this. We have many stories that teach us this. You do not have such stories where you come from.”

Narrator:         And it was true. William could not think of any stories from his people that cautioned against overconsumption, that taught people about sustainability. Robin’s Aunt continued.

Aunt:               “We do not harvest the rice in the traditional way because we don’t know any better. We keep to the old practices because they help restore balance, they keep us in the circle. We could get more rice using your technique. It is thoughtful of you to offer us your knowledge. But the rest of the rice is not for us. It’s got to seed itself for next year. And what we leave behind is not wasted. We’re not the only ones who like rice. Did you notice the abundance of wildlife around the lake? It will be duck season soon. Do you think the ducks would stop here if we took all the rice every year? Our teachings tell us to never take more than half.”

Apple Sharing 

On the front table there are dozens of apples in baskets – enough for everyone and more.

I welcome you into our Apple harvest sharing. These apples have come from the land less than ten miles north of where we now gather. Up at Apple Hill Farms, where the orchards grow, six generations have tended the farm. These apples are Crispin, Ida Red, and Macoun. They are local and if you choose, after eating your apple you may try growing your own tree from the seeds for such things are possible with the right knowledge and care and attention.

In a moment, I will invite those of you here in person to come forward and select an apple to take with you. If you are online, we will likely have several apple remaining that we will keep in the lobby. If you come by Monday or Tuesday this week, morning or early afternoon, you may come by and have an apple for yourself as well. This offering is meant for everyone. The earth and the trees have brought this good fruit forth. We are recipients of the bounty. And it signals our connection and our place in the balance of things.

Consider it a communion, a sign of our connection with the land and with the Spirit and with each other. As you eat your apple, know that others are also eating their apples – apples which all came from the same trees in the orchard there up the hill less than ten miles to the north. The sun and soil and rain and breezes that nourished your apple did so for all these apples. And now these apples nourish us and the circle continues.

Come, let us partake of the blessed bounty of the land.

Interlude

Affirmation                                                   by Amy Kindred

Of all the gifts in all the world,
for love we are grateful.
Of all the gifts in all the world,
for helping hands we are grateful.
Of all the gifts in all the world,
for food [from the good earth] we are grateful.

May we remember that the best gifts don’t arrive wrapped in paper or bows.
For love, helping hands, food [from the good earth] and so much more
We are grateful.
Amen and May it be so.

Closing Hymn (#1010, STJ)             We Give Thanks

Chalice Extinguishing (#456 SLT)              (unison)          by Elizabeth S. Jones           

                                    We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth,

                                    The warmth of community, or the fire of commitment.

                                    These we carry in our hearts until we are together again.

Benediction                                                    by Susan Karlson                      

We leave blessed by our connections to one another, to the spirit of life.

Walk lightly that you see the life that is below your feet.

Spread your arms as if you had wings and could dance through the air.

Feel the joy of the breath in your lungs and the fire in your heart.

Live to love and be a blessing on this earth

Postlude

The War on Truth

11-12-23

Rev. Douglas Taylor

Sermon Video: https://youtu.be/Xycpbb4C-aI

Recently, in the Credo class I’m teaching – the one in which we respond to provocative questions about values and beliefs – I asked “Which is more important: being kind or being truthful?” Most of the people in the class quickly objected to putting these two options as a dichotomy. There is no reason, folks responded, we can’t be both kind and truthful if we take the time and effort to do it. It’s not that hard if you try.

But we pressed the question, acknowledging that we were not asked to pick between being either kind or truthful. The question was not ‘Is it more important to be mean but right or to be a likable liar?” Truth and kindness are both important. The question simply asks, which one is more important: being kind or being truthful?” Which one helps you do both well?

My answer was to lean a little more toward being kind. I suspect that is not a surprise to most of you. One of the other participants was very strongly in the ‘kindness’ camp and explained themselves like this: “Truth doesn’t need me for it to continue being truth. But kindness is dependent on my actions.” This made a lot of sense to me. I create kindness. I don’t create truth – truth just exists.

I was fairly satisfied with that response and even edged a little closer to the kindness side of the line after hearing this participants response. But a few days later I was unsettled by another thought. “Does truth need me?” Maybe I don’t create truth; yes – truth simply is true and doesn’t become more true by any action or belief on my part. And yet …

There has been a significant increase in the politics of lying lately. The political divide between liberals and conservatives has continued to widen, and one key argument is about who won the 2020 election. It is true that Biden won, but Trump and an array of vocal supporters continue to promote a lie that the election was stolen. And that lie has continued to have an impact on the functionality of our government in certain ways.

Now, it is certainly an age-old cry that “All politicians lie.” And while there is truth in that adage, that line is usually referring to the way politicians make promises on the campaign trail that they can’t keep or don’t intend to keep. It can also refer to the way politicians will put a spin on a story – control the narrative. But that’s not the same as fabricating a narrative from nothing.

Something different is going on. All of the lying is still just attempts to manipulate and control people in order to gain power. Politically, that’s what most of the lying is for. That goes for the campaign trail promise and the news hour spin. But some of what has been going on during the previous presidency and the ripples from the lie about a stolen election is bigger, bolder, and more dangerous.

It’s dangerous because truth is being seen as unimportant – as negotiable – by people in power – or vying for power. And this trickles down to more regular people who perpetuate the lies but don’t receive the benefits.

And something else is at play as well – something that makes the erosion of truth easier. We are grappling with the way technology has advanced to where we have a remarkable level of access to information. And a problem with that is there is so much information that it becomes just noise and we struggle to tease out any signal. There is so much content, it can be almost impossible to find reliable sources of true information and it is super easy to just find an echo of whatever you already believe is true.

A positive spin on this is the way entertainment can provide highly individualized content. If you want neotraditional bluegrass music, you can find that. If you want Bollywood movies, but just the dance scenes, you can find that. If you want modernized fairy tales featuring only people of color, you can fine that. You want cheesy hallmark Christmas romances movies featuring LGBTQ+ characters, you can find that. And if you don’t want those things – you don’t have to see it. Of course, certain people still go out of there way to get offended about representation, but my point still stands.

My point being: the expansive availability of niche content is good for entertainment. Unfortunately, the same expansive availability of niche content is a problem when it comes to getting your news and information about the world. It makes it very easy to confirm your bias and very hard to find reliable sources of real information.

It becomes important to ask “Who wrote this article or this podcast? What perspective or identity are they writing from?” When our news is pitched toward customized niche markets, it isn’t really news anymore. Misinformation and disinformation have become so prevalent, we can’t just take information at face value. We have to question our sources.

And I want to be clear that this is not just a matter of politics and social issues. Science is in danger of misinformation and disinformation as well. People seem to consider an opinion about science to carry as much weight as evidence-based fact. Folks delight in questioning evolution and climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and vaccinations.

And then we can get started on the conspiracy theories about historic events such as the Holocaust and the moon landing.

In the reading, https://www.creationsmagazine.com/2023/09/29/the-truth-will-set-all-of-us-free-by-caitlin-johnstone-and-tom-foley/  we heard a warning about propaganda. Propaganda is when a lie is generally accepted as truth because it has been heavily promoted by a powerful entity. A conspiracy theory is the opposite, it is the revealing of the propaganda. Part of the problem is that if you want to point out propaganda, you risk being labeled a conspiracy theorist – which is not seen as a positive label – it is a way to discredit people.

It gets tricky. One of the tools of the powerful is propaganda. Another is to discredit anyone pointing out the truth. And another tool is to poke at clearly established truths by concocting conspiracy theories about them to undermine credibility.

The trouble comes when so many things are purported to be propaganda or a baseless conspiracy theory, and we are left to pick and choose which things are real and which are not with limited tools for uncover the truth.

I’ll give you an example. I am well convinced that the moon landing was real. But I wasn’t there, I don’t understand the science of astro-physics, I don’t know any astronauts, and I don’t work for NASA. I can’t do my own research. I can’t personally to vouch for the reality of the moon landing. I am left to read and listen and at some point, simply trust the information I have available to me. And I am well convinced the moon landing was real. 

Consider a more recent example. A few weeks ago (10/17/23) a hospital in Gaza was struck by a missile, hundreds of Palestinians died. According to some, the missile was part of the Israeli offensive. Others say it was a missile fired by Hamas that landed on the hospital by mistake. There has been little beyond situational or circumstantial evidence available because the hospital is in a war zone at the moment. The question of truth vs. propaganda is an obvious one to pursue at this point. And yet, many people don’t We’re not going to get clarity about the truth on this point for a long time. Which means propaganda will likely hold sway.

Our world is filled with injustice and the cruel exercise of power. The question of truth vs. propaganda, once you start looking, shows up in myriad locations. What’s happening with people of color in our prison system? Why are Trans people being targeted with dehumanizing legislation? Who is opposing the increased taxation of the super-rich? What’s the latest buzz about borders and immigration? Who, other that corporations, is promoting this current round of Artificial Intelligence?

In our reading this morning Caitlin Johnstone reminds us, “propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening.” She calls us to shake ourselves free from our ‘propaganda blinders’ and develop “a truth-based relationship with reality.” And I’ll add that caution that there is no unfiltered source of truth in the news. So, watch for the filters; watch for the angle, the lens being used to bring you the news.

This is good critical thinking skills to use on the information you are receiving. “Who wrote the piece?” And, “Who funded it?” You can go a little deeper and ask, “Who benefits from this version of the story?” And even “Whose voice is missing?” It helps peel away the layers to get closer to the truth.

Unitarian Universalism calls us to use a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The context of that principle is for religious and spiritual matters, but it applies broadly to all of our living. There are a large number of powerful entities promoting certain perspectives, and generally they do not do so for the good of the republic or our noble citizenry, but for the good of their own economic, political, or social advantage.

But propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening. Ask more questions. Investigate the context. Be wary of the easy confirmation of what you already believe. Don’t assume the truth does not need you to defend it, does not need you to support it, name it, protect it.

Yes, “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” (William Cullen Bryant) But that doesn’t mean we can sit back and let those who are crushing it to keep doing so. Yes, “No lie can live forever.” (Thomas Carlyle) But that doesn’t mean we must blithely wait for the lies to die before we can live free in truth. Yes, “The truth is still the truth even when no one believes it.” But that doesn’t mean the truth does not need us to support it, defend it, seek it always.

Friends, it is not easy right now. It feels like a simple message, everyone in the congregation will agree that truth is important. But friends, the world we live in is stacked against the easy finding of the truth. And so, I may be preaching to the choir. But sometimes the choir needs to be reminded of the song, or helped back on key – so that we can all continue to support one another. And the truth can help us.  

Seek the truth, we say. Seek the truth, and the truth will set you free. It will set all of us free.

In a world without end,

May it be so.

Grandma’s Hands

October 29, 2023

Rev. Douglas Taylor

Sermon video: https://youtu.be/ajeqN2tgBY0

There is a classic writing tip that is given to fiction writers, to people working on a novel. Give your hero a tragic backstory, they say. Make it something terrible that happened to them which helps make their character more noble for being good. A relatable hero needs a tragic backstory. This is why there are so many orphans in literature. The best example in my mind is from Roald Dahl’s James and Giant Peach. His parents were out shopping in London when they were killed by an angry rhinoceros that had escaped from the zoo. Poor James. So relatable. In truth, we have all had trauma in our lives. We don’t need to all become orphans to know the suffering wrought by trauma.

Over the past handful of years, I have been learning about the impact of trauma on our lives. I’ve taken workshops and attended trainings that talk about being ‘trauma informed.’ There three very interesting things about all of this that I want to share. The first is that trauma lives in our bodies.

As human beings, our bodies have deep wired reactions for self-protection. When presented with a threat, we have a physical, visceral, non-cognitive reaction commonly recognized as the ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response. Psycho-biology has continued to bring good research around this aspect of our complex living.

And I need to emphasize, trauma lives in our bodies. This isn’t about how you might have an old hurt you will not forgive. This is about experiences that become written into our pre-thinking reactions. Think about how during a horror movie, a scene can make you jump – even though you know it is a movie, when you cognitively know there is no actual danger, your body still reacts. Our bodies react to fear and pain without needing to wait for our cerebral cortex to think up a logical response first. When we have a significant trauma experience, the reaction can become coded into our brains as part of that basic reaction.

Have you ever experienced another person’s reaction to a situation and think to yourself, that person’s reaction is not in proportion to the situation. It feels like an overreaction. If you are really attentive, you might even notice when you do it. Usually what it means is the situation is not all that’s going on for that person. One possibility is that the person has a trauma experience also at play.

It is a little like the two arrows story in Buddhism. Buddhists talk about suffering in the Four Noble Truths. And the story of the two arrows helps clarify what is meant by suffering. When we experience something that hurts us it is like we are pierced by two arrows. The first arrow is the pain that occurs, the actual event that hurts us. The second arrow is our reaction to the event that adds to our pain. The Buddhists call the first arrow the pain and the second arrow the suffering. The pain is inevitable. The suffering we can work on.

Trauma causes pain, and how we respond to it, the story we create about it, the defenses we build up as reaction – that’s all part of the suffering. Trauma is rife with suffering.

In his book My Grandmother’s Hands, Resmaa Menakem reveals that

“We can have a trauma response to anything we perceive as a threat, not only to our physical safety, but to what we do, say, think, care about, believe in, or yearn for. This is why people get murdered for disrespecting other folks’ relatives of their favorite sports team.” (p7)

But here is where it begins to get very interesting. Every person’s response is different because everyone processes their experiences in different ways. It’s not just that people have different experiences, but every person processes those experiences in unique ways. And over time, we build up protections around the trauma, defenses that keep us safe from further harm. And those defenses become ingrained in a way that is also physical and visceral; reactions that come before our cognitive brain kicks in.

Resmaa Menakem is a trauma counselor and has led trainings in a breadth of communities including public schools, domestic violence centers, police departments, military bases, and community centers. Early in his book, My Grandmother’s Hands, he shares the story behind the title.

When I was a boy I used to watch television with my grandmother. I would sit in the middle of the sofa and she would stretch out over two seats, resting her legs on my lap. She often felt pain in her hands, and she’d ask me to rub them in mine. When I did, her finger would relax, and she’d smile. …

She wasn’t a large woman, but her hands were surprisingly stout, with broad fingers and think pads below each thumb. One day I asked her, “Grandma, why are your hands like that? they aren’t the same as mine.”

My grandmother turned from the television and looked at me. “Boy,” she said slowly. “That’s from picking cotton. They been that way since long before I was your age. I started working in the fields sharecropping when I was four.” …

She said “The cotton plant has pointed burrs in it. When you reach your hand in, the burrs rip it up. When I first started picking, my hands were all torn and bloody. When I got older, they got thicker and thicker, until I could reach in and pull out the cotton without them bleeding.”

My grandmother died last year (the author concludes). Sometimes I can still feel her warm, thick hands in mine.” (p4)

And I’ll repeat something I said just ahead of this quote. “Over time, we build up protections around the trauma, defenses that keep us safe from further harm.” Human beings are resourceful and adaptive. We learn and grow so we can continue to function. We all experience trauma in our lives. Different people process it in different ways. We learn and adapt; and we create defenses to protect ourselves from trauma.

Later in our lives, the defense mechanisms we’ve had that helped us at first begin to get in the way. The grandmother’s hands were covered in thick calluses and scar tissue that had protected her in her youth, but caused her pain in her later years. The image of having ‘built a wall’ is common. We build an emotional wall or some other type of boundary to protect ourselves. In time, however, we often find the wall then impedes our ability to connect and build new friendships.

And such traits, created in response to trauma, can be passed down through generations. This is the second very interesting piece I’ve been learning lately that I want to share this morning. Trauma doesn’t just impact the individual experiencing the event. It can be passed down. A classic example that many might recognize is how alcoholism runs in families. There is nothing genetic to alcoholism. It is not passed down like blue eyes or a predisposition to heart disease. But it is passed down. And it often comes with layers of trauma and defense tactics. 

And while we name this as a ‘generational’ experience, I would expand that beyond families to include communities. The impact of the Holocaust is an example. There are more than a hundred thousand Holocaust survivors still alive today. But countless Jews who were born after World War II carry the echo of a trauma they didn’t experience firsthand. Generations of Jews are now carrying a self-protective response to situations in which Jewish people are targets of hate and violence. To a non-Jew, the reaction may seem like an overreaction or in some way out of proportion. Or, we can recognize it as a trauma response echoing through the generations.

I suspect that is a part of the story with the war between Israel and Hamas. There is more than just the story of this missile and that bomb from this past month. It is generations of trauma and suffering for all the people involved, leading to what seems like senseless violence and extreme retaliation.

Or consider the impact of slavery and Jim Crow segregation. Consider the near genocide of the indigenous Indians from this land. Consider the long shadow of the clergy sex abuse scandals which were not just about the abuse but also the covering up of the abuse. Consider the immigrant experience – especially the asylum seekers fleeing violence. The trauma does not just impact the person who experienced the traumatic events. We pass the responses to the trauma down the line – sometimes healthfully but usually not. 

Usually not … because the ‘trauma response’ is responding to a trauma that may or may not still be going on – it is decoupled from the actual event. We are stuck is a cycle of trying to resolve something that may not be happening anymore. All we are getting is the second arrow in the Buddhist story.

Do you begin to feel heartbroken by the enormity of it all? The impact of trauma is everywhere and impacting everyone. “Be gentle with one another,” Dick Gilbert said in the meditation. Be gentle, we are all hurting. And that brings us to the third topic I want to share this morning. When learning about trauma I’ve learned that healing is possible.

I’ve learned that trauma lives in our bodies. I’ve learned to recognize the heartbreaking extent of all the trauma, the generational echo of trauma. And I’ve learned that is not the end of the story. We can unlearn the defenses we’ve built up when they no longer serve or are no longer needed. And we can heal what we pass on to the coming generations.

I think I’ve used the example before, but I grew up in an alcoholic household and one defense mechanism I learned was the language of sarcasm – keen and biting. And I was good at it. During the first decade of my marriage, I had to work at unlearning that language, to stop myself from letting the biting remark slip out of my mouth.

Healing is possible. I think of the story we heard in the reading by Rayla Mattson. https://www.uua.org/braverwiser/strength-defines-us Rayla’s son was struggling with how other people reacted to his long hair. The story reveals how Rayla helped him navigate the harm, helping him avoid the second arrow of suffering even though the first arrow still hurt. The pain caused by the bullies was still felt. But the suffering didn’t have to happen, he didn’t have to build a wall of protection and shame for his heritage. One of the things Rayla did that helped was to bring a photo Rayla found of an indigenous man with long hair. The photo was a stand-in for an ancestor. Rayla’s son received a gift of strength and resolve from his ancestor in that moment.

Our ancestors do not only pass down trauma and defensive reactions. We also inherit their strength and pride, their resilience, their sadness, their fierceness, their grace. Healing is possible. The cycle of suffering can be eased and even broken. When you do your own work, you begin a new cycle and pass along a new way.

Resmaa Menakem shares another story in his book, this one about the healing. He writes:

Mental illness runs in my grandmother’s family. When her sister became schizophrenic and had to be hospitalized, my grandmother willingly took in her two young children and raised them as her own.

My other grandmother did the same thing with my aunt’s four kids. When my aunt became a cocaine addict and lost most of her ability to be a caring parent, my father’s mother didn’t hesitate to take over.

When I witnessed both of these changes in our family, I thought it was because my grandmothers were kind, loving, generous women. That was generally true, of course. But something else was involved – something more important. Both of my grandmothers recognized the need for someone to step in a fulfill that role. Both also had the capacity to wholeheartedly take on that role. They didn’t have to do this. …

I didn’t realize until I was in my early fifties, but both of my grandmothers also helped to create greater room and resilience in my body and nervous system. Their actions taught me to shoulder responsibility. (p288)

No act of health and healing is ever wasted. Such actions also echo and ripple out to the children, the communities, and the generations to come. Being gentle with each other is not only a kindness that offers a little rest and ease. Being gentle with each other heals. Our world needs healing. Our own broken hearts and aching bodies are where we begin to heal the world.

This is the whole focus of my call as a minister. I am here to pass the blessing along, to help anyone also find their healing, to share God’s love, to ease the suffering of the second arrow, to create more fertile ground for more flowers to take root. This is our work. We are here to be gentle with each other. To heal from the wounds of our days and days gone by. That we too may one day become the ancestors our communities need.

In a world without end

May it be so