We gathered again in strength after a gap of some months, which was welcome and which in itself led to a sense of optimism. The gathering was invited to consider keeping a purpose clear in mind in times that to many of us seem difficult, in what might yet turn out to be a winter of discontent as a result of the cost of living crisis.
The opening music was an uplifting anthem, possibly from the LGBTIQ networks, “We give thanks in these hard times,” which can be found on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1JhiDsQNLo&list=PLuHoqBDN-aPLfCT9JMiG2AGqatHqYyC1N&index=1
(Unfortunately, the IT let us down after that, and we were unable to view the other video music that had been planned, which can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw1j8QvtZZc&list=RDg2RBaN3uWOY&index=4
After the lighting of the candle in the chalice, we had a lovely story with the idea that the world can be fixed by fixing the humans within it; and then readings from the Bible. The first was an arrangement of some words in the book of Amos, and the second was a compilation of words from the Gospel of Q and the Gospel of Matthew.
The president for the day reflected on the choice of the readings.
“Early Jewish religion may have overplayed sacrifice and ritual, because in that first reading we have a Hebrew prophet character, Amos, telling us that God does not care for rituals and offerings. In particular, we are told, God does not like them when they come out of a life of complacent luxury and indolence.
“We get a picture of God from this. We see that perhaps God is not looking for empty gestures but for our empathy for the sufferings and oppressions experienced by others in our midst. Looking for us to walk past our own comfort to relieve suffering and to root out injustice. ‘Let justice roll on like a river; And righteousness like an ever flowing stream.’”
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| the shepherd Amos as depicted by Gustave Doré (public domain image from Wikipedia) |
She went on by commenting on the recent COP27 climate conference, and how so little impact would be felt in the real world from the pitifully superficial nature of the agreements reached. Unlike the prophet Amos, who spoke in terms of justice being a task that would roll on for ever, our speaker suggested that we will only have to carry the burden of this task for a few centuries more.
We heard that many scientists estimate the breakdown of civilisation as we know it will be in about eighty years. The threat is more from nuclear war than directly from temperature extremes; this because water and food scarcity will cause mass migrations on a scale so far not imaginable, and together with that, conflict and violence. There has been almost nothing about planning for us to reduce instead of increase our demand, to use less energy, to want to use less energy. Almost no recognition that in a finite ecosystem economies cannot grow without limit. To be sustainable, civilization probably needs to operate at about 20% of the current energy usage levels — 80% less than we currently use.
Our president said, “The end is rushing up much quicker than we ever thought it would. Though even a proportion of activists are in denial: we are in the end years, the decline years.
“When we truly recognize this, we have a choice. We can eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Or we can wail in hysteria, and wither away in despondency. There are many, many people who now suffer from what is becoming termed eco-anxiety. Or we can loot and pillage, knowing there will be none to come after us to hold us to account. Or, we can stand up straight, centre ourselves, and stand fast to the principles we stood for before we knew the painful truth.
“If the end of human civilization as we know it is getting closer and closer, isn’t that an even better reason to make those days which are left to us, the best days that have ever been?
“Let us take inspiration from Amos and work even now to let justice roll on like a river, right up to the point where the river is no longer identifiable. Let us work to show those with eco-anxiety that there is a point to living, even in the end days. Let us live in hope beyond all reasonable hope, and live as well as we can.”
So much for the first reading. And so far, it didn’t seem like much help was being given with what that hope or purpose in hard times might look like, on a daily basis. Thankfully, our president didn’t leave it there, but went on to discuss the second reading.
“Realistically, what effect can we really have? What difference can we really make? Well: nothing can emerge on the human scene without it first appearing in the human imagination. Meaning that our first imperative is to use our imagination. Failure will be certain if we undergo a failure of imagination. And where do we hear about imagination? Well, in the gospel stories. We have words of Jesus, as Jesus was re-imagining Judaism.
“In the second reading, though we ourselves may be familiar with the words, they were new to those listening. Jesus is providing new and even shocking metaphors in order to re-imagine the kingdom of God. Look, he said, I know the prophets of old compared the realm of God to the famed Cedars of Lebanon, which were used to build the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Big; strong; solid; powerful; lasting; awesome, even. Actually the realm of God can also be like a tiny mustard seed which grows into a scraggly plant that most of you farmers consider a weed; but it’s a weed that provides shade and shelter for birds. The realm of God can also be like a yeast that seems insignificant but which changes the whole character of water and meal when you mix them all together.
“And don’t think for a moment that you who seek the realm of God are unimportant just because you are as ordinary as salt. Without salt how would we preserve food, how would we live? Don’t you dare lose your essential character — if the salt stops being salty, if you stop being so ordinary, how would any society survive?
“Look, it’s hard keeping hold of your sense of direction, said Jesus, it’s hard sticking to this narrow path, and you mustn’t expect ever to be many in number because plenty will fall by the wayside as you go. But you really are a light to light up the darkness. It doesn’t take many of you to do that. Just keep on keeping on.”
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| lamp on a stand and the growing mustard seed, by Johann Christoph Weigel (image in public domain from Wikipedia) |
We were reminded that Unitarians in the UK do all sorts of things that might not look very much, and we may not be very visible in our towns and cities, but for those who do come into contact with us we do make a difference.
“We are a gentle, angry people, highlighting injustice when we see it. But also we make provision for ‘mums and tots’ sessions. We house community fridges. We send disadvantaged and deprived children out into the wilds of the Peak District for life-changing adventures. We put a spotlight on the iniquities of the penal system. We fund some activities of the British Red Cross. We travel to Calais to speak with and provide practical support to migrants. We champion religious freedom in all its forms. Not so long ago we worked for greater equality regarding marriage. We make allies across boundaries and remind those we come into contact with that neither we nor they have the entire picture.”
We were then reminded that people in general very rarely fail in their endeavours. More often, we just stop trying. In looking for hope and a steering light in these times, we can use these ideas from Jesus to keep alive our imagination of what we can do, to keep us keeping on, working for the purpose of God as we understand it, as expressed by Amos: ‘Let justice roll on like a river; And righteousness like an ever flowing stream.’ Even unto the end of the stream itself.
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