“…[M]eaning has not been finally captured. Nothing is complete, and thus nothing is exempt from criticism. Liberalism itself, as an actuality, is patient of this limitation… Events of word, deed, and nature are not sealed. They point always beyond themselves. … [W]e cannot properly place our confidence in our own creations; we must depend upon a transforming reality that breaks through encrusted forms of life and thought to create new forms. We put our faith in a creative reality that is recreative. Revelation is continuous.” —James Luther Adams
Revelation- a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.
Revelation- the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.
Revelation- the act of making known something that was secret, or a fact that has been made known.
As people of a religiously liberal faith, it is essential to love and justice that we remain open to knowledge previously unknown, and to the experiences and meaning of others. Of course, you may say, we’re free-thinkers! We’re UUs! Are you doubting us?
But let’s look at this a little deeper. I know I’m not perfect and I’m not open to new insights as much as I think I am. How about you? How would you know? Well, for starters, how often have you let go of being in relationship because you were so certain that you were right and you weren’t going to budge? Or, how many times have you given advice based on what you think someone else should do without actually listening to their point of view? How often have you righteously preached your point of view without listening to the perspective of others, whether you agree or not?
There’s a saying, “you can be right or you can be in relationship”. (I’ve seen this saying attributed to indigenous wisdom by my Meadville professors and also to Christian wisdom elsewhere. I imagine that it’s a meaning that can be extracted from theological wisdom all over the world.) However, this doesn’t involve giving up your values and succumbing to the viewpoint of others. Certainly, siding with love does not leave room for being complicit to racism, xenophobia, and other oppressive thoughts/behavior. It simply means giving some space for the thoughts and experiences of others (and I would say, especially to those on the margins of society), and engaging in a conversation that allows for the humanity of others to be revealed rather than focusing on the wrongness of others. This leaves room for what we aspire to- the creation of “new forms” of being and living, a revealing of new parts of the truth that we haven’t seen before, a transformation of the living so that we can open up the path to love and justice for all. And healing. It definitely leaves more room for healing than the severing of relationships does.
Check yourself when you feel like you’re digging your heels in- are you more concerned about being right at this moment? Or are you legitimately concerned about the relationship? What is your part in creating “the problem” within the relationship? And, relationship with whom? For your own good, don’t try to preserve a toxic or abusive relationship. There’s certainly a balance within all of this that we must maintain for our own spiritual health and effectiveness, and unfortunately, there’s no clear cut answers or definitive instruction guide on how to proceed- just a deliberate effort on our parts to discern how to proceed in each unique relationship. Yes, it’s hard work.
So, what will lead us down a path to the revelation of truth, love, and justice for all? Being right, or being in relationship? We can do more good together than we can by ourselves. Let’s begin within our own UUCL community. It’s a safe space for being brave together. We had a great listening circle this past Sunday and I am so thankful to the over 20 brave individuals who came to share and listen- and love! Feel free to share with one another the ways in which this kind of listening strengthens our community.
Be brave. Be challenged. Be well!