Smiles Matter

 

From my last column in Erie:

“Nothing is Settled: Everything Matters” - Rev. James Curtis, Norfolk, VA

It has taken me a decade of ministry to figure something out.

I see it as the fundamental awareness that differentiates Unitarian Universalism as a faith. You might call it the “Zeroth Principle” if you like things in lists. It shapes my understanding of the Seven Principles, but it is different. It isn’t a positive-sounding statement, something to strive for like use of the democratic process or world community. It isn’t a personal decision like encouragement to spiritual growth or dignity. Instead it is how I understand the world, and that understanding makes me Unitarian Universalist.

“We live in a world that was created by us, is maintained by us, and will be envisioned by us.” That’s how I say it. And if you are in an attacking mood, you can say no – the planet existed before Homo sapiens. You can ask “who is this ‘us’?” You can point out that one day the sun will become a red giant and fry the planet with plasma, ending all life. That is your choice.

My statement is just a corollary of James Curtis’s statement that “Nothing is Settled: Everything Matters” which is not a belief, it is a fact.

Nothing is settled. I wish this were not true. I wish God could save me and then I could just enjoy life. I wish once we all decided that clean water and clean air are good, our nation would keep these things true. I wish once everyone said “one nation, indivisible” all would respect everyone as their co-citizen. Our Seven Principles call us to engagement every day, hold us responsible, every day.

Everything matters. The choice of whether we work for quality education for all children, or just for ours, matters. How we invest in healthcare, and for whom, matters. How prisoners and the elderly are cared for and kept safe, or not, matters. No individual decision is a binary of good and bad, each decision has its own reasons, but all decisions together shape our hearts and shape the world.

COVID-19 has reminded me of this relationship. My wearing a mask matters to all, not just to me. Realizing that my behavior shapes what “normal” is, and normal behavior is what determines infection rates, and determine how many people will die, is an awful realization. Social distancing matters – not only to those violating the rule but also to all who they are in contact with. There is no “them,” it is all “us.” Our actions as a society during this pandemic matter, and will shape the world our children inherit.

Everything matters when false rumors reduce vaccination rates, and people die from controllable diseases. Political forces know that voters vote their fears and emotions, so seeding doubt through rumor or innuendo will be what swings the election-- more important than any facts or speeches. The stories we tell determine what happens. If we sow division through microaggressions, like a confederate flag, or make a racist, sexist, able-ist, jingoist remark, we shape society’s vision of itself. Every single bit matters.

We, Homo sapiens, are all that can shape the future in a world of randomness and uncertainty. Individual choices seem unimportant, but society’s choices come from individuals. And society’s beliefs create good medical systems, fair courts, safe drinking water, peace. God does not have a plan. God does not control all. Our faith is not concerned whether you believe God is simply letting us drive the tractor or that we created ‘God’ to placate the masses. Our faith tells us that we have power… and therefore responsibility.

How will we act responsibly? How will you act responsibly?