Friday, May 21, 2010

The simmering rage


I was sitting in front of the Java Junction in downtown Brockport, NY earlier this week, Wednesday to be exact, when vociferous arguments broke out about what is wrong with our country and who is to blame?

As you might guess, the wrong people get blamed and scapegoated.

What role does Unitarian Universalism have in channeling the simmering anger of Americans in the right direction?

I am not talking politics here, I am talking morals.

So much of what is contributing to the rage of America is the moral deficiency of its leadership which will not do the right thing because it is the right thing, but only responds to corporate contributions of lobbyists, and what they think their "base" want.

What does the "base" want?

I submit that the "base" wants what's good for the "base" and let's blame and scapegoat everyone else. It sells on TV and talk radio this kind of us/them thinking. It incites the passions and for a moment feels better to vent one's frustrations, but in the end it leaves bigger headaches and messes.

What does Unitarian Universalism have to offer in terms of naming the evil in the world, in terms of how to deal with the evil in the world, in terms of how to perform the alchemy of turning anger into love, and exploitation into passion?

Unitarian Universalism appears to many as saccharine fluff, the meringue on the pie. It is, of course, much more. Susan B. Anthony is one of ours as is Clara Barton, and Adams clan.

Has Morales got the cajones to lead 150,000 UUs into a leadership role in an angry America? I am waiting to see. If he has the "it" which he talks about, I will follow him. If he wimps out, I am looking for another leader to step forward.

3 comments:

  1. >>I am looking for another leader to step forward.<<

    To do what?

    150,000 individuals are unlikely to be able to influence much, and it's unlikely those 150,000 even agree amongst themselves on much.

    Perhaps it's a mistake to look to organized religion for the social & political influence you find lacking.

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  2. "Unitarian Universalism appears to many as saccharine fluff, the meringue on the pie. It is, of course, much more. Susan B. Anthony is one of ours as is Clara Barton, and Adams clan."

    Is?

    Perhaps *was* would be a better choice of words David.

    You are talking about Unitarians and Universalists who died about century ago or more and thus passed away about half a century before the merger of Unitarians with Universalists in 1961.

    Who of any renown and influence *is* a U*U today?

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  3. During his campaign, Barack Obama said, again and again, "I'm not asking you to believe in the change I can bring to Washington--I'm asking you to believe in the change you can bring to Washington."

    I think this applies here. Individual UUs, using whatever small bit of influence they have, to turn anger into love, and love into radical transformation.

    The question for me is, how can our congregations, districts/regions, and all the resources of the UUA, support the efforts of individuals as they work for organic, adaptive change?

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