The Story of Our Country
Preached 5/30/2021 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
Memorial Day can be a tricky one for Unitarian Universalists. In this age of political extremes, we side solidly with the left, with the blue, we call ourselves liberals, and we have grown ever more touchy about any apparent displays of nationalism. At the same time, we recognize that Memorial Day honors people, human beings who had inherent worth and dignity, and many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, who gave their lives.
Many of us bristle at slogans like “freedom isn’t free” and “the land of the free because of the brave.” Depending on the era, depending on the situation, these can be great slogans. But in a divisive time such as this, in a time when we have seen horrific examples of nationalism, where patriotism can slide so easily into xenophobia and authoritarianism, Memorial Day is tricky.
We UUs are a people who don’t like to mix politics and religion. And this might sound a bit backward. I’ve had my share of folks who have accused me of being overly political from the pulpit - it’s a rite of passage for many ministers. Because politics is not something with a clear definition. Politics is amorphous.
Some may call the fight for equal rights political, and in some ways it is, and in other ways, the fight for equality is right there in our first principle, the inherent worth and dignity of all people.
We UUs care a great deal about social justice, but we don’t tend to want to spend time mixing politics into our religion. You will not see a US flag in this sanctuary. We do not buy into a cultural story of the US being a “city on a hill,” a shining beacon that other countries can learn from. We do not ascribe to Manifest Destiny or the idea that God has ordained America to be especially great… When we speak about our country, we usually point out its deficiencies, in the hope of addressing those deficiencies.
But we are a mix. Some of us are uncomfortable with the military, and some of us are military veterans. We believe first and foremost that we do not need to think alike to love alike, so we, as a community can lean into Memorial Day as a day when we remember the people, the individual humans who carried a spark of divinity within them, humans who did what they thought was right. People who did heroic things and people who perhaps did things that you and I would ethically abhor. But nonetheless, we remember and recognize. And we honor.
It’s interesting to begin by singing “Tis a Gift to be Simple,” because that sweet song is a popular Shaker hymn. The Shakers were part of the Anabaptist movement of the Radical Reformation… we’re getting into some of my favorite history of religion nerdy stuff to geek out about here, so I’ll spare you, but basically, the Shakers, the Amish, the Moravians, the Quakers, the Brethren, the Mennonites, etc were from a group of pacifists that do not condone war or anything to do with the military. They mean it when they say “Tis a Gift to be Simple.” They believe in living a very simple life, some more extreme than others, as those of us who have had interactions with the Amish are aware.
Our history as Unitarian Universalists do not descend from that pedigree. We are more related to the United Church of Christ folks through our shared Congregationalist history.
And what we do here is embrace, embrace, embrace, right? We open our hearts and open our arms and we hold space for everyone. Everyone who does not believe alike. We hold space for those that we disagree with and those that make us uncomfortable. We recognize that we can learn from Shaker ideaology and we can also learn from those who served in the military. And we can find loving kindness in our hearts for them all.
Of course this is not easy, especially in a time when we feel afraid, when we feel threatened. On January 6th, we witnessed the violence of extreme nationalism. We are still recovering, as an entire country, not just this religious community, from 4 years under a worryingly pro-authoritarian government that egged on this dangerous nationalism.
So we are, many of us, in a place of fear. It is hard to be open and loving and embrace diversity from a place of fear. In fact, this is exactly where xenophobia and dangerous nationalism come from, a place of fear, a place of feeling that we must close our borders, turn on the “no vacancy” sign, reject whoever we perceive as outsiders.
In this space, in the holiness of a Unitarian Universalist sanctuary, there are no outsiders. Everyone is welcome, the only outsiders are those who make themselves outsiders by their own decision.
When I was in seminary, I went to a liberal Christian seminary, and a professor gave us this thought experiment about communion. Liberal Christians like to talk about their “open table” meaning that all are welcome to take communion. This is in direct opposition to more conservative groups like Catholics and Eastern Orthodox for whom the table of communion is “closed” to anyone who is not a member in good standing, etc.
And the professor asked this group to think about how open the communion table is. Is it truly open to everyone? Should it be? For instance, what if a KKK member showed up wanting to take communion? What if that KKK member wanted to wear their white robes and yell about how much they hate people of color while taking communion? How liberal are we? How open is our table?
This thought experiment is a great one for us too as UUs, because we believe in openness and a radical welcome. Yet, we have limits. Essentially, we welcome all who are willing to welcome all. It’s really that easy.
Some folks might call that hypocritical - we tolerate all but the nontolerant. But it’s not hypocrisy, it’s logical and it’s an example of healthy boundaries. So I’ll say it again, we welcome all. No exceptions. We welcome all and those who make themselves unwelcome by being intolerant are simply not welcome.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can believe anything you want if you are UU, or that UUs don’t believe in anything! We believe in standing up against inequality, against bullies, and we will not tolerate them. We also agree to disagree on the details of that! One person may be an extreme pacifist and another may boast a lifelong military career. And these two people can learn from one another.
This is what we mean by celebrating diversity. Diversity is what makes us beautiful, and on Memorial Day, we open our hearts to the folks that add a bit of diversity to our denomination.
When we think of Unitarian Universalists, we might think of striking workers, laborers, union leaders, we might think of professors, intellectuals, ageing hippies, angry lesbians! But we don’t often think of soldiers. We don’t often think of our military and those who bravely do what they feel is right, often by traveling abroad and butting their own lives in danger. There is something very Unitarian in that sort of strength. In that way of daring to do the right thing, even when it is hard, even when it is scary.
So today we remember them, my grandfather and perhaps your grandfather. Perhaps your friends and loved ones. Those who have been lost and those who are still with us. Those who are proud of their service and those who have suffered severe emotional trauma. We remember them and we honor them. Those of us who have never worn a military uniform or touched a combat rifle, we honor those who have made sacrifices for our benefit.
There is nothing hypocritical in opening your arms to someone with whom you disagree.
This is, in fact, the greatest source of love, it is the holiest thing that we can do - to open our arms ever wider in a welcome. All are welcome here, in this place where we rest in an energy of abundance. There is enough love for us all, even with our differences. Patriotism doesn’t have to be scary. Loving our country doesn’t have to be a slippery slope to hatred.
From the perspective of abundance and loving kindness, we embrace Memorial Day and those sould whom we memorialize whole heartedly as we recognize that to love our country means to see its blemishes as well as its accomplishments. And to love our fellow Americans means to embrace all with open arms and a radical welcome. You are welcome here. We tolerate all views. But we do not tolerate intolerance.
Although memorial Day can be a time of solemn remembrance, I’d like to end by sharing a joke that my grandfather, a veteran, loved:
On Memorial Day, the minister noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names and small American flags. The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up and said, "Good morning, Alex." "Good morning, reverend," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "What is this?" Alex asked. "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the men and women who died in service." Soberly, they stood together, observing the plaque for some time. Little Alex finally asked, "Which service, the 9 o'clock or the 11 o'clock?"
Preached 5/30/2021 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
Memorial Day can be a tricky one for Unitarian Universalists. In this age of political extremes, we side solidly with the left, with the blue, we call ourselves liberals, and we have grown ever more touchy about any apparent displays of nationalism. At the same time, we recognize that Memorial Day honors people, human beings who had inherent worth and dignity, and many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, who gave their lives.
Many of us bristle at slogans like “freedom isn’t free” and “the land of the free because of the brave.” Depending on the era, depending on the situation, these can be great slogans. But in a divisive time such as this, in a time when we have seen horrific examples of nationalism, where patriotism can slide so easily into xenophobia and authoritarianism, Memorial Day is tricky.
We UUs are a people who don’t like to mix politics and religion. And this might sound a bit backward. I’ve had my share of folks who have accused me of being overly political from the pulpit - it’s a rite of passage for many ministers. Because politics is not something with a clear definition. Politics is amorphous.
Some may call the fight for equal rights political, and in some ways it is, and in other ways, the fight for equality is right there in our first principle, the inherent worth and dignity of all people.
We UUs care a great deal about social justice, but we don’t tend to want to spend time mixing politics into our religion. You will not see a US flag in this sanctuary. We do not buy into a cultural story of the US being a “city on a hill,” a shining beacon that other countries can learn from. We do not ascribe to Manifest Destiny or the idea that God has ordained America to be especially great… When we speak about our country, we usually point out its deficiencies, in the hope of addressing those deficiencies.
But we are a mix. Some of us are uncomfortable with the military, and some of us are military veterans. We believe first and foremost that we do not need to think alike to love alike, so we, as a community can lean into Memorial Day as a day when we remember the people, the individual humans who carried a spark of divinity within them, humans who did what they thought was right. People who did heroic things and people who perhaps did things that you and I would ethically abhor. But nonetheless, we remember and recognize. And we honor.
It’s interesting to begin by singing “Tis a Gift to be Simple,” because that sweet song is a popular Shaker hymn. The Shakers were part of the Anabaptist movement of the Radical Reformation… we’re getting into some of my favorite history of religion nerdy stuff to geek out about here, so I’ll spare you, but basically, the Shakers, the Amish, the Moravians, the Quakers, the Brethren, the Mennonites, etc were from a group of pacifists that do not condone war or anything to do with the military. They mean it when they say “Tis a Gift to be Simple.” They believe in living a very simple life, some more extreme than others, as those of us who have had interactions with the Amish are aware.
Our history as Unitarian Universalists do not descend from that pedigree. We are more related to the United Church of Christ folks through our shared Congregationalist history.
And what we do here is embrace, embrace, embrace, right? We open our hearts and open our arms and we hold space for everyone. Everyone who does not believe alike. We hold space for those that we disagree with and those that make us uncomfortable. We recognize that we can learn from Shaker ideaology and we can also learn from those who served in the military. And we can find loving kindness in our hearts for them all.
Of course this is not easy, especially in a time when we feel afraid, when we feel threatened. On January 6th, we witnessed the violence of extreme nationalism. We are still recovering, as an entire country, not just this religious community, from 4 years under a worryingly pro-authoritarian government that egged on this dangerous nationalism.
So we are, many of us, in a place of fear. It is hard to be open and loving and embrace diversity from a place of fear. In fact, this is exactly where xenophobia and dangerous nationalism come from, a place of fear, a place of feeling that we must close our borders, turn on the “no vacancy” sign, reject whoever we perceive as outsiders.
In this space, in the holiness of a Unitarian Universalist sanctuary, there are no outsiders. Everyone is welcome, the only outsiders are those who make themselves outsiders by their own decision.
When I was in seminary, I went to a liberal Christian seminary, and a professor gave us this thought experiment about communion. Liberal Christians like to talk about their “open table” meaning that all are welcome to take communion. This is in direct opposition to more conservative groups like Catholics and Eastern Orthodox for whom the table of communion is “closed” to anyone who is not a member in good standing, etc.
And the professor asked this group to think about how open the communion table is. Is it truly open to everyone? Should it be? For instance, what if a KKK member showed up wanting to take communion? What if that KKK member wanted to wear their white robes and yell about how much they hate people of color while taking communion? How liberal are we? How open is our table?
This thought experiment is a great one for us too as UUs, because we believe in openness and a radical welcome. Yet, we have limits. Essentially, we welcome all who are willing to welcome all. It’s really that easy.
Some folks might call that hypocritical - we tolerate all but the nontolerant. But it’s not hypocrisy, it’s logical and it’s an example of healthy boundaries. So I’ll say it again, we welcome all. No exceptions. We welcome all and those who make themselves unwelcome by being intolerant are simply not welcome.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can believe anything you want if you are UU, or that UUs don’t believe in anything! We believe in standing up against inequality, against bullies, and we will not tolerate them. We also agree to disagree on the details of that! One person may be an extreme pacifist and another may boast a lifelong military career. And these two people can learn from one another.
This is what we mean by celebrating diversity. Diversity is what makes us beautiful, and on Memorial Day, we open our hearts to the folks that add a bit of diversity to our denomination.
When we think of Unitarian Universalists, we might think of striking workers, laborers, union leaders, we might think of professors, intellectuals, ageing hippies, angry lesbians! But we don’t often think of soldiers. We don’t often think of our military and those who bravely do what they feel is right, often by traveling abroad and butting their own lives in danger. There is something very Unitarian in that sort of strength. In that way of daring to do the right thing, even when it is hard, even when it is scary.
So today we remember them, my grandfather and perhaps your grandfather. Perhaps your friends and loved ones. Those who have been lost and those who are still with us. Those who are proud of their service and those who have suffered severe emotional trauma. We remember them and we honor them. Those of us who have never worn a military uniform or touched a combat rifle, we honor those who have made sacrifices for our benefit.
There is nothing hypocritical in opening your arms to someone with whom you disagree.
This is, in fact, the greatest source of love, it is the holiest thing that we can do - to open our arms ever wider in a welcome. All are welcome here, in this place where we rest in an energy of abundance. There is enough love for us all, even with our differences. Patriotism doesn’t have to be scary. Loving our country doesn’t have to be a slippery slope to hatred.
From the perspective of abundance and loving kindness, we embrace Memorial Day and those sould whom we memorialize whole heartedly as we recognize that to love our country means to see its blemishes as well as its accomplishments. And to love our fellow Americans means to embrace all with open arms and a radical welcome. You are welcome here. We tolerate all views. But we do not tolerate intolerance.
Although memorial Day can be a time of solemn remembrance, I’d like to end by sharing a joke that my grandfather, a veteran, loved:
On Memorial Day, the minister noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names and small American flags. The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up and said, "Good morning, Alex." "Good morning, reverend," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "What is this?" Alex asked. "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the men and women who died in service." Soberly, they stood together, observing the plaque for some time. Little Alex finally asked, "Which service, the 9 o'clock or the 11 o'clock?"