"And You Call Yourself A Universalist!"

Somebody asked me this weekend, "Why not Pirates of the Unitarian Universalists?"

To which I responded, "Because I'm a Universalist."

Links plundered via The Emerson Avenger:

• David Kling to Anti-Catholic UUs: Religious Fundamentalism is a problem in our world. But so many times it is easier to mirror this fundamentalist behavior with a slightly different emphasis. Liberalism taken too far can be just as oppressive as conservative fundamentalism. It is so easy to write "I must love my neighbor," but far more difficult to practice the love. Does it do any movement any good to talk about diversity, respect, and justice and then point fingers of scorn?
• Will from CRAPonSunday is a Republican: What's been bugging me, then, is that when sitting in the UU pew, I am often figuratively portrayed as a sinner not unlike those poor folks sitting in Edwards' pews. Preordained. Doomed. Judged not in this case by an angry God, but rather by the Angry Left whose definition of justice differs from my own and who dominate the UU denomination. The problem is that I generally don't think of myself a sinner. And feelings of guilt are not what I come to church to get. Instead I come for the hope of redemption. I seek communion with fellow religious liberals. I want the Universalist treatment! Take me for what I am, warts and all.
• And the sermon that sums it all up, presented (appropriately, I think) on All Fool's Day by Reverend Scott W. Alexander of River Road Unitarian Church: I was sure that morning that I could preach a powerful and poetic sermon about the pure living essence of Universalism from which I came theologically. As I walked my way up to the school from my apartment, my head was down as I silently went over and over in my head how I was going to inspire everyone eloquently with my understanding of and commitment to the Universalist ethic of human inclusion, connection, and care. As I approached Shattick Street, I happened to glance up, and there, sitting on a bench waiting for a bus was a very physically unattractive woman -- by my judgmental standards anyway. Before I could censor the unkind thought, I said to myself there on the street, "Oh, dear God, look at that ugly woman. She must work at being that unattractive ... and who could ever be attracted to that?" At that moment -- as if it were a message directed straight out of the heavens for me -- the skinny little guy sitting next to her on that bench leaned over, and bestowed upon her the gentlest kiss I have ever seen a human being bestow upon another. Right then ... right there ... in the middle of Shattick Street ... I heard a loud and holy voice that was as clear to me as any voice I have ever heard ... and the voice said to me:

  
  "HELLOOO, SCOTT. DON'T YOU GET IT? Here you are, on your petty little way, up to your petty little school, to preach your clever little sermon about the holy, living gospel of Universalism (which you claim to understand and love deep in your heart), and all you can do is sneer at another human being who you imagine is somehow less worthy and lovely than yourself! Don't you understand that she is as precious and beautiful and worthy as human beings get? Don't you understand that the love and grace which creation holds for you is held (in the same sacred vessel of essential human worth and beauty of being) in her? Don't you see that you and she are equally holy children of God? AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A UNIVERSALIST!"

  Now, let me assure you, I am not in the habit of regularly hearing voices on the street. But on that clear Berkeley day, I heard a Universalist voice (so clear and commanding ... and holy and haunting) that it still rings in my heart's ear to challenge and chide me toward a better, more loving and inclusive human place.

Rev. Scott's sermon also contains an excellent redux of Universalist history, including a mention of dear old Urbana and local church namesake John Murray. This land is in need of another Universalist revival, not so that we can "grow" our UU churches, but rather so that the idea might once again be found in every church. We need to do such a good job that, as Rev. Scott says, we "lose our market share."

It's sad that we capitalize and institutionalize these words that once pointed towards ideals of a boundless church, and seek to separate that which is Unitarian Universalist from that which is not. When we can look into the face of the others--the Roman Catholics, the Republicans, the solar eclipse cults and the just plain ugly people--and therein see ourselves, when their church home is our church home, then we will not fret about the size or name of our denomination, we will simply be unitarian universalists, with capital letters removed in favor of meaning restored.

I'd rather be unitarian universalist than Unitarian Universalist.