Guest Blog by Rosemary Adang
I joined QUUF for the same reason so many of us are here – a sense of community: spiritual community, community support, community action.  QUUF is, as Paula Jones spoke of in her sermon earlier this year, a community of communities.

At QUUF, I’ve found communities within our larger community – covenant groups, ALPS, the women’s retreat, RE, the Newcomers Outreach and Pastoral Teams and other committee work that sustains the life of our fellowship, as well as the broader community groups we are connected to such as JCIRA. I’ve found friendships within and across these groups, and I know there are many more possibilities for me and others among the many eddies of good people, good will, and good work to be explored.

I originally came to UUism because of its focus on social justice. I appreciated what I saw at the local level – people of all ages carrying UU banners at rallies, writing, and singing for racial justice, for peace, for the environment, for reproductive rights. And I soon came to realize that, while retaining a great deal of local autonomy, we were supported at the national level by the UUA with its commitment to social justice. To me, this commitment is best expressed by the phrase “Standing on the Side of Love,” which, while applying directly to the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ community, seems to me to also apply broadly to the UU approach to justice for all, including our planet.

One challenge any group faces, especially one that has been established over a significant period of time is when and how to change when past patterns aren’t addressing important concerns. For Unitarian Universalists, taking action against institutional racism is our most critical challenge. The lack of racial diversity in most UU congregations and even the lack of racial diversity in our broader community suggest we have not stepped up in ways that make a significant difference.

So what do we do?  Do we adopt the Eighth Principle, written and promoted by UUs of color?  Do we accept the challenges of the Widening the Circle statements, particularly that we need to examine our own institutions, our own fellowship, for ways people of color may be shut out?  Do we hold ourselves accountable to a principle that states that our actions must follow our values?

I think we do. We may disagree passionately on approaches to social justice, but we cannot just continue on when much is asked of us.

I believe there is room for a variety of voices and visions. As long as we hold each other within a community of respect, good will, and openness, we can move forward in solidarity as QUUF. This requires trust and sometimes humility, but aren’t these essential in any good relationship?

I believe that social justice is a spiritual path, that we are only made whole as individuals when we are made whole as communities, from the local to the global level. I believe that making this world a kind, just, and promising one for all is our purpose. While honoring inevitable differences of opinion on when and how to step forward to reach these goals, if we can come together openly and honestly in communities small and large within QUUF and our broader UU denomination, maybe we can help to build a world where all are included in the Beloved Community.