Social Justice – Rev. Steve Wilson

Social Justice Work

I love the famous Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” It is a twisted challenge to humanity that has been increasingly true in every generation since it was uttered in the 12th century. The world truly is a miraculous and troubling place. Always has been. And, with an ever-shifting offering of blessings and challenges, always will be.

Our churches and its ministers are called to speak to and about this balance of wonder and distress. And in each era, our churches have to stumble forward with love and compassion on their brain and heart to wisely act in it.

I need not remind you that this is no easy task. We both never know the full impact of our actions, or what in the scope of history will end up mattering. We must not, and should not, lose heart.

The Protestant William Slone Coffin described Unitarian Universalists as having a thin theology, but a thick ethic. We as UU’s are both called by the prophets as well as our consciences to reform the world, and we are in turn invited to draw meaning in our lives from that call.

Although I always feel more strongly the pang, even a guilt, that drives me to do more, and do what I do better, I cannot deny that my life has been centered in an ever-shifting dance of activism and service. Looking back on my resume fills me with a feeling of lost opportunities, but also a pride in the consistency of my commitment to that vague calling that I have given myself permission to dance with in my own way.

I became a UU because I resonated with the former minister Rev. Dana Mclean-Greeley’s confessional that “He remained impatient with this terribly troubled world.”

And, I became a UU because perhaps more than any other religious tradition, our faith, with no promise of reward, calls us to change the world. May we remain true to that calling, and in doing so feel the sustaining sense of purpose that comes with it.

Again, enough words. In my resume is an accounting of my broader civic, denominational, and political involvement.

Laundry Love

Saturday's from 12 to 3pm, at “ViVi’s Laundry” in Carson. We are continuing to offer the opportunity for those in need of a little financial assistance to have the dignity of clean clothes. Presently, our Laundry Love contribution is more hands off than before, and more than we would wish. Steve, and an occasional volunteer safely sit outside the laundromat and offer quarters and detergent for people washing their own clothes. At this time we do not need volunteers. However, people can contribute by donating money/quarters, purchasing pod laundry detergent. I tell people all the time Laundry Love is our best hands on ministry, and once we can get back in to assisting our folks it will be again. Please consider contacting Janet Kissner or Rev. Steve for opportunities to contribute to this most simple and practical act of building the world of compassion we want to live in.

A Conversation with Ref. Dr. Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Malcom X, and Buddhist Leader, Dr. Ikeda

Sunday January 16th 3pm South Coast Interfaith Council MLK Celebration Program: The program is titled “A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Malcom X, and Buddhist leader Dr. Ikeda.” At this event local leaders will represent these icons in a living conversation on today’s issues of race and justice. This program has a strong PUC imprint. Our music director, Dr. Severin Behnen, and regular musical guests Linda Alvarez, and Michael Saucier, our Bass player, perform. Kellie Kinsman edited the music video, and Rev. Steve serves on the SCIC Board and MLK committee. Perhaps most interestingly, following the imaginary conversation between the justice icons listed above will be time to reflect and commune with people from all over the South Bay. You can register for this virtual “Zoom” event at bit.ly/30thSCIC-MLK For more information contact Office@scinterfaith.org

Supporting Recent Afghan Arrivals in Los Angeles

Recent world events have led to conversations here at PUC about how to help the Afghan families who are migrating to Southern California. At a meeting of about 20 people in our Library in November we dedicated ourselves to stepping up to make a difference in what is unwinding into a National disaster a world away. At that meeting, a number of possibilities for stepping up to help have emerged. That list has for practical purposes been whittled down to two ways to help. The first of those is “Miry’s list, or “miryslist.org” Initiated by the effort of one woman looking for a single item to help one migrant family has emerged an organization that pulls families together with and the retail store Target to create gift registry’s specific to the needs of each Afghan family’s needs. "Miry's List, describes itself as a movement of neighbors & friends dedicated to welcoming new arrival refugee families into our community through inspired crowdsourcing solutions." www.miryslist.org https://miryslist.org/about-us Please click the link, or go to our website where a list can be found that will allow you to similar to a bridal registry allow you to purchase individual items needed by one particular afghan refugee family. This group has been featured in the LA Times, NPR, and CNN as a worthy charity.

Gift of Compassion

On Sunday Evening Dec 12th, soon to be members the dynamic duo of Angela & Tu-Tu hosted the last of four healing and justice cross race conversations. Titled “We See You” these four nights were co-sponsored by the Whitman institute and the Black/AAPI Healing Circle. They were fueled by the wonderful bento dinner boxes by SkidRow Café. This is exactly the kind of cross-cultural and racially diverse events that we are looking to foster here on campus. The conversations that took place in circles of between 5 and 7 people are the kind of connections that drip by drip, word by word, help build up peaceful visions for what is obviously our common destiny. Although the “We See You Dinners” are over, as they say when one door closes another one opens, and as this newsletter is being constructed Angela and Tu Tu are examining new ways to keep the energy and aims of this collaboration alive with us. We welcome that.

Invisible No More Grant

We all want to look around the places we chose to identify with and see people like us, particularly in leadership positions, and one of the things we have learned is that what BIPOC people see and hear in the institutions they visit UU churches matter. “The Invisible No More” project, for which we here at PUC are the formal fiscal agent, helps highlight the API’s among us. The campaign will manifest in both a vlog and traveling exhibit that showcases capture the creation of this project.

Witness for Peace: US/Mexico Human Rights Border Report

Sunday after church, come hear Carolyn Waters, Rev. Steve, and Rachel and Alma Bruhnke’s experience about their recent trip to and across the border with a Witness for Peace delegation. These four will share pictures, graphs, and their own first-hand experiences of the wall, life-saving efforts of those in desert border towns, water drops, and the human rights catastrophe and challenges that take place daily at our border. Come, bring your plate from lunch, this will be interesting. Above are some of the other 800 Protestors who joined our vigil the largest and most dangerous detention facility in the country.