Social Justice
"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
-- The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr
The work of healing our broken world is central to my ministry. I resonate deeply with the concept of tikkun olam, the collective task of healing of the world, and with the Jewish story of the “Ein Sof” from the Kabala. The story tells us that in the beginning of the world, all that existed was the Ein Sof, the holy darkness, until one day, a great ray of light emerged from the heart of that darkness. But then, there was an accident, and the light broke into millions of fragments, which fell into all things and all people, and there they remain, hidden. Humanity is said to be the response to this accident. We are all born with the capacity to seek out that light that lies hidden within, to lift it up, and to begin to restore wholeness to the world. We are all called to work together to build a more just world.
I believe deeply in the strength of love as a force for social change, and I believe that the love of religious communities has an integral role to play in building a just, peaceful and equitable society. In a time when radical fundamentalists are often the only religious people making the headlines, it can be hard to see religion as anything other than a source of violence, discrimination and hatred. Religious communities are facing a declining sense of trust that they can do good in the world. While religion, like any identity, can be divisive, it can also bring people together. My trust in religion comes from experiences of religious communities as sources of love, hope and healing. Several years ago, as an intern working in the world of progressive religion in Washington, DC, I worked with social justice organizations from diverse faith backgrounds, all trying to heal some of the greatest injustices in our country and abroad. Though they may not have agreed on matters of creed, they did agree that they were called to spread God’s love by working to reduce poverty, end discrimination, and protect human rights. Such organizations embody religion as I believe it was meant to be: as a source of unity and love, hope and light. In my ministry, I hope that the communities I lead will be ones that hope to a world that is too often filled with despair, and demonstrate how religious communities can spread love, not hatred.
One of the most important ways we can spread love is by taking on the hard work of anti-racism and anti-oppression. This is a critical part of our work to build the beloved community. My understanding of anti-racism, anti-oppression and multiculturalism is rooted in an understanding of oppression as a systemic issue. Oppression is not something that is not simply perpetuated by individuals; it is structured into the very fabric of our society, no longer written explicitly into our laws, but rather implicitly into our institutions. To address oppression, we need to dismantle these institutional systems—a task that is much bigger than simply ending individual and interpersonal prejudice.
I know that any congregation I serve will have to face these issues of racism and oppression, and many of my congregants will have to deal with their own complicity in the systems and structures of oppression that are still so present in our society—and in our congregations. In my ministry, I seek to model openness in speaking about my own privilege and my own experiences of the complications of working for justice from a place of privilege. I seek to encourage my congregants to speak openly and honestly about their experiences of racism and oppression—no matter which side they were on. Until we are able to speak openly and honestly with one another about these issues, there is no way we will be able to truly embrace diversity in our faith communities. Living and worshipping in diverse communities takes a lot of work, a lot of trust, and a lot of dialogue. My experience in UU congregations tells me that we have a long way to go, and I know that part of my ministry is to walk with my people on this challenging, but necessary journey.
One of the most important ways we can spread love is by taking on the hard work of anti-racism and anti-oppression. This is a critical part of our work to build the beloved community. My understanding of anti-racism, anti-oppression and multiculturalism is rooted in an understanding of oppression as a systemic issue. Oppression is not something that is not simply perpetuated by individuals; it is structured into the very fabric of our society, no longer written explicitly into our laws, but rather implicitly into our institutions. To address oppression, we need to dismantle these institutional systems—a task that is much bigger than simply ending individual and interpersonal prejudice.
I know that any congregation I serve will have to face these issues of racism and oppression, and many of my congregants will have to deal with their own complicity in the systems and structures of oppression that are still so present in our society—and in our congregations. In my ministry, I seek to model openness in speaking about my own privilege and my own experiences of the complications of working for justice from a place of privilege. I seek to encourage my congregants to speak openly and honestly about their experiences of racism and oppression—no matter which side they were on. Until we are able to speak openly and honestly with one another about these issues, there is no way we will be able to truly embrace diversity in our faith communities. Living and worshipping in diverse communities takes a lot of work, a lot of trust, and a lot of dialogue. My experience in UU congregations tells me that we have a long way to go, and I know that part of my ministry is to walk with my people on this challenging, but necessary journey.
"Allison has strong insight into issues of race and class, and she continually raised those as issues for Unitarian Universalism to grapple with, If she did not have absolute solutions to these issues, well, neither do any of us. However, she continually asked about this , and continually pointed to questions about practices we have." - Rev. David M. Bryce, Senior Minister at The First Church in Belmont