Witness
As people who believe in building the best world we can in this life, we are called to bring our saving messages into the world in the form of public witness. In my first called position, I worked to raise the public profile of our congregation, demonstrating on issues of marriage equality when Virginia passed one of the most heinous restrictive marriage amendments. Though our congregation had never taken to the streets before, we did so and even posted a large banner outside the congregation declaring our support for marriage equality to the world 24/7. This was at a time when even some within the congregation thought this was too “out there.” We also demonstrated for peace and religious and ethnic tolerance after the September 11 attacks.
Shortly after being called to MDUUC, California’s ballot had a marriage equality proposition placed upon its ballot. As soon as we arrived in August, I identified resources and worked to ensure that our congregation could be a hub for opposition. Though the measure passed by a narrow margin, it lost in our large county. We have also demonstrated extensively on immigration rights issues and on issues of peace and gun control. I was pleased to have performed the first legal same-sex marriage right outside the front doors of the county courthouse the first morning it became legally possible to do so.
Since being called to MDUUC, I have served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California (now UU Justice Ministry of CA) and to have been part of a number of statewide efforts towards witness related to the UU purposes and principles.
