I love a good story! I get so focused the world around me seems to disappear. I go to another dimension fully immersed in the author’s alternate reality.
This month we explore Story from several angles. Unitarian Universalists believe that we are the authors of our own lives. We write our own story. And with the power to shape our own lives comes great responsibility. Can you write the story of your life, distilling it down to one sentence as Daniel Pink advises? What is the essence of your story?
But we don’t write our story in isolation. We write it as interconnected beings. We’re connected to the people around us and to the natural world, we are cousins to all of life. We are family! We will explore this story of relationship.
Even though we are free to write our own story, sometimes we get caught up in the story others want us to live or playing roles that society has designed for us. We may wear those roles comfortably. But they can begin to chaff. Our UU faith says that we need to be true to who we are. We UUs build communities where we can experiment and grow into our authentic selves. This diversity of stories enriches all our lives.
Living authentically takes courage. Who personifies courage for you? A veteran, Nelson Mandela, or the Lion from the Wizard of Oz? Sometimes we need to dig deep to find courage, we are tested and challenged. With the strength of our spirits and the support of our loving community we can face life’s joys and challenges together.
Our children and youth will be immersed in story this merry month of May.
Rev. Judy, DRE
Rev. Judy Tomlinson was Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's Director of Religious Education from 2018 through 2021.