Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing

Education has been on my mind lately.

Last week I was out in Chicago at our UU Meadville Lombard Theological School. Jennifer Kelleher, a member of UUCWC, started her training to become a UU Minister last fall and I was asked to be her “Teaching Pastor.” During my participation at Meadville, I was impressed by school’s program, faculty, and especially by the passion and dedication of the large class of new students. My confidence in the UU ministry of the future is high because of the process I participated in and the people I met.

Yesterday, I participated for the second year in an Interfaith Dialogue at the Hopewell Valley High School. I was part of a group of clergy that included a variety of Christian Ministers, a Rabbi, and an Imam and of course me, a Unitarian Universalist Minister. We each made introductory remarks to a large group of students enrolled in a comparative religion class. We introduced ourselves, our specific faith, talked about why we became a religious leader, and then talked very briefly about our faith perspectives.

Then we broke up into two groups and the students asked us specific questions that related to theology, scripture, rituals, and our faith communities reactions to some of the current social issues facing society. It was a wonderful opportunity to dialogue about such things as heaven, hell, sin, salvation, same sex marriage, baptism and other rites and rituals, our views on the Hebrew, Christian and other Scriptures, and how we related with one another as clergy.

I am very pleased that this class is offered in our local high school. I know that my children would have enjoyed having the opportunity to participate in such a class if it had existed when they were students there. And once again, I was impressed with the young people who were responding to the chance to study religion in a comparative way. They obviously had been learning about their own as well as other religious perspectives and how different faiths came to their beliefs and practices. Their questions were thoughtful and respectful, but didn’t shy away from the significant differences between the religious faiths represented nor how we are connected in our common pursuits. My confidence in the future was heightened because of the process these young people are participating in and by listening to and by meeting them.

As we face the many challenges of our society and our world, we desperately need to be dedicated to the task of education and learning, for the children and adults in our own community of faith as well as the larger communities in which we live. Many of the members of our congregation have been involved in several social justice and equity issues during recent weeks. I was very disappointed in the outcome of the effort to legalize marriage equity for same sex couples in NJ as well as the effort to provide the chance for NJ high school students who are undocumented immigrants to attend NJ schools by paying in-state tuition. And yet, I was pleased that several criminal justice reforms were passed by our legislature.

Education, I believe, is a key that will unlock doors to many positive changes in the future. By affirming and promoting: “Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part,” we realize that everyone and everything is connected. When we learn through formal education or through informal dialogue everyone benefits. When we help others learn through formal education or through informal dialogue again everyone benefits. My confidence in our future is heightened because of the quality religious education program that we offer to so many young people and adults. There are a variety of ways that you can be more deeply involved in the process of learning and growing. I encourage you to join in and support the process of learning and growing in the pursuit of truth and meaning.