“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
Happy New Year! You may be wondering why I am starting the New Year writing about evil. After the good tidings of the holiday season, the celebrating of peace among nations, and the promise of a New Year, it seems sometimes that these feelings can disappear into the winter of despair. The news once again turns to all that is wrong with the world. It is a constant struggle among humanity:
When my son was five years old, we were talking about the idea of Unitarianism. I explained that I have faith that we are each born whole and holy. He asked for verification: “Mommy, does God really love everyone?” I answered that of course, God loves everyone. He then asked, “Does God love Trump?” He had me stumped. I refrained from my knee-jerk reaction and instead answered honestly. I told him, “While I know Trump doesn’t love everyone, and certainly acts on that, it doesn’t take away from the power of love to be bigger and stronger than the people that try to take love away.
It is an interesting discussion to have with your children. Despite our humanity and our civilization worshiping all sorts of “wrong” and “evil”, Unitarian Universalists understand the inherent good in everyone, that we all come from one source. As Solzhenitsyn points out, evil is not an abstract, far-away concept, but rather, how we respond evil in a million little ways, bending the arc toward justice, that makes all the difference. One of the positive aspects of a dynamic religious community is that it invites us to grapple with this question and calls us to our better selves. We can communicate and live the values of community and the higher calling of love to overcome evil every day.
January RE Programs
January 4 – Family Sunday: Join us to welcome the New Year together. Families worship in the Sanctuary. All children are welcome to participate fully in worship. Worship bags and rug spaces will be available. Regular Religious Education programming does not take place on Family Sundays.
January 11 – First Day of K–3 OWL: K–3 OWL begins with orientation and Workshop 1. Children not participating in OWL may join either the preschool room or the Stepping Stones upper-elementary group. Middle school and high school programs meet as usual.
January 18 – Regular RE Classes: All age groups meet this week. Little UUs explore winter stories; Discovery and Stepping Stones begin our “Good and Evil” thematic unit; and YES UU and YRUU focus on community-building and preparing for mid-winter events. Nursery care is open.
January 25 – Whole Church RE: All ages participate in a hands-on Whole Church RE experience in the Education Building. This month’s program centers on gender, sexuality, and allyship through the creation of a Progress Flag Mosaic. The mosaic will be available during Coffee Hour for adults to continue adding pieces.
February RE Programs
February 1 – Whole Church RE: We continue our all-ages program focusing on gender, sexuality, and allyship as we work together on the Progress Flag Mosaic. Adults can add their contributions during Coffee Hour.
February 8 – Winter Con at Quimper UU (Grades 8–12): Middle and high school youth (8th–12th grade) travel to Port Townsend for Winter Con, Friday through Sunday. Younger children and elementary classes have a regular RE Sunday on campus and explore the traditions of Mardi Gras.
February 15 – Family Sunday: Celebrate Mardi Gras with our annual shoebox parade. All children are welcome to participate fully in worship on this Family Sunday. Worship bags and rug spaces will be available. Regular Religious Education classes do not take place on Family Sundays.
February 22 – Regular RE Classes: All programs meet. K–3 OWL continues, and other classes explore age-appropriate discussions of fairness, moral choices, and courage.
Stay connected—middle school and high school advisors continue to send emails directly to parents of enrolled youth. You can also reach out to LeAnne Struble, RE Coordinator, to make sure you are on the correct lists.
by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education