You may say that I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, And the world will be as one. –John Lennon, Imagine
I recently accompanied one of our youth to New York City to attend the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) Spring Seminar. The experience was inspiring.
The 2019 spring seminar theme was Equity in Action: Gender in an Intersecting World. A multigenerational community of teens and adults met to learn about how to be a global activist for justice around gender, in an intersectional way. Guest speakers led workshops on intersectionality, on how gender plays into war, nuclear disarmament, and UN goals from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
I walked away with hope for the future. In small groups, we debriefed each day, sometimes more than once a day. Teens and adults together, from all around the world, talked through the workshops and presentations, and began working on goals and resolutions. We talked through why and how discrimination happens, what we can do individually and collectively as a community. And I watched budding activists catch on fire with a desire to build a better world.
There is nothing more wonderful in my work as a religious educator than observing children and youth catch fire. As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to create the kind of world we could envision as heaven, right here, right now, in our lives. Our children get it. They know right from wrong. They are compassionate and caring, they aren’t afraid to ask questions and challenge adults who aren’t working hard enough. They see a better way. They aren’t afraid to face the future.
May we all keep the fire alive in our youngest people. May we all work toward their vision of a better world. May we not lose hope, may we keep up our momentum, may we find the words and actions to create true change. May we live into our Unitarian Universalist values each and every day.
Yours in faith,
Robin
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