Dear Members and Friends of Our Beloved UU
Church of Valdosta,
Thursday, May 29, 2003 we realized that hate was no longer
an abstract concept or event that affected the lives of distant places and
people but it confronted us personally, individually, and collectively as a
faith community. We saw the face of hate and it was horrifying.
Though we cannot understand or grasp the whys of this
tragedy we do know that it was a crime against freedom of religion, the
democratic process and the right of safe assembly in our nation.
As the law follows its process of discovering the criminals
behind this act I challenge us to do our spiritual work. May we find a
deep-rooted courage to be more vigilant than ever to do justice, provide safe
harbor to the disenfranchised and continue to uphold the constitutional
rights freedom of speech, assembly and religious expression.
I am very heartened and hope you are as well by the immense
outpouring of compassion and solidarity from our UU faith family all the way
from Boston to our nearby UU churches. I am deeply moved, and pray you
are as well, by the wonderful expression of support provided by our friends
and neighbors to cleanup from the vandalism. Please tell each as you see
them how much their presence meant to you and your parish. It will mean
a great deal to them.
It is important to grieve and grieve we must...but as we
pass through it I pray it will be our determination to live our faith more
committed and more resolutely as we determine to keep the flame of
our liberal faith a beacon of hope and strength for all that need us.
May we look back on these days as days of wonder when the
Divine spark ignited an eternal flame that lightens the darkest corners of
fear and oppression and brings the light of hope so no person must cower to
the evils of hate. We are a privileged people indeed. For
such a time as this we are together. Hold on to courage my dearest
friends. I hold you in my heart.
In our living faith,
Al
Rev.
Albert Boyce
Unitarian
Universalist Church of Valdosta
June
2, 2003
E-mail UU-Valdosta at uuvaldosta@yahoo.com
Phone:
229-242-3714
