About 20 years ago, I was going through a rather stressful time. And every morning my alarm would go off and jar me awake with its insistent noise. After all an “alarm” is meant to raise your anxiety level, almost to the point of panic, so that you get out of bed. I decided that this was not a good way to start my day, so now I have an alarm that wakes me up with a light that slowly turns on over the course of 30 minutes. If I’m so tired that I don’t wake up with the light, little birds start chirping softly at me, getting slowly louder and louder. It’s such a non-stressful way to wake up!
Every health professional will tell you that sleep is one of the most important things a person can get, for their physical and mental health. But so is waking up! And waking up with light is way less stressful than an alarm.
So, looking at this as a metaphor, how do we try to “alarm” people into “waking up” to the inequities of the world? Is fear/alarm the best way to do it? How, instead, might we use light/love to help people awaken to face the new challenges of the day? What do you think that looks like?
Unsure? Well come to church this month and let’s explore this together!
With love,
Rev. Sian
Rev. Sian Wiltshire is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's minister. Please feel free to reach out and say hello! She can be reached by email, revsian@ocuuc.org, or by church phone at (714) 556-2882 (x302).