Minister's Musing

Rev. Mark Ward
Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville

January 2009

We are living in such momentous times right now. The wild swings in the stock market are only the most visible signs of an economy caught in deep and painful transition, and what all these changes will mean for any of us – our jobs, our homes, our retirements – is still unclear. At the same time, while it struggles to respond to these events, our government is caught up in the drama of political transition. Although there is much hope surrounding this change, we cannot know how the fine words of political campaigns will translate into the messy process of governing.

And so it occurs to me that it is at times like this that we need this church community more than ever. We need to remind ourselves and each other that we are not cast adrift, apart and alone. We are inherently worthy and deeply connected, and we are here to help and support each other. Our tradition, grounded in the complementing disciplines of freedom and love, reminds us to reach out to each other and to the stranger. At a time when fear counsels us to close our hearts it is all the more critical that we keep them open.

I am proud of the many ways that you are doing that with your time, your money and your commitment to our congregation. We are working on a number of ways to support each other and the Asheville community that you will be hearing about soon. If you have ideas or suggestions, please pass them along.

One area where this is centered in the larger community is the area of race. We have done much as a community over the years to try to undo and heal the damage from racism, but as the Anti-Racism Task Force appointed earlier this year by our Board of Trustees found, there is still more work for us to do. We need to do more to make this a welcoming place for people of color who come as visitors and to provide leadership to encourage racial healing and reconciliation in Asheville.

Our board agreed that this work needs to be done and asked the task force to continue as a Racial Justice Team to help make it happen. You’ll be hearing more about this beginning at our Martin Luther King Jr. service on Jan. 18, where the team and I will focus on how to be a committed ally with people of color to bring about change.
In trying times it is all the more important that we stay true to our values, that we stay connected, and that we appreciate and support each other. May your holidays be merry and bright!