Submission 31 David McTaggart UU Church of Arlington (Arlington, VA) 8038
What is your suggestion or idea?
Section C-2.2, Values and Covenant.
Interdependence
We honor the interdependent we of all existence.
PluralismWe celebrate the sacred diversity of all beings.
JusticeWe build beloved communities where all people thrive.
TransformationWe transform and grow spiritually and ethically.
GenerosityWe cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
EquityWe declare every person has the right to flourish.
In its charge to the Commission, the Board stated it would would like to see an Article II that is ""inspirational, memorable and poetic.” To this end, I offer this rephrasing of our values statements. I have included these statements on the appended graphic as a suggestion of how the values might be communicated. __
Have you discussed this idea with your congregation or other UUs?
Something like this is a good idea, something easily memorized (like the principles) and, therefore, easily shared with someone new to UU. There is too much in the explanation of values and too little in the seven words themselves for ease and clarity in sharing. Indeed, I found the explanations often inadequate to fleshing out the values.
I really like the idea of a single-view page that “says it all,” but I don’t necessarily agree with the need for so many different single words even though they are in the proposed Article II. I’m not sure that those single sentences you propose capture the meanings or differences between terms. I think Justice and Equity could be merged. (In those one-sentence value statements, the phrases “where all people thrive” and “every person has the right to flourish” mean about the same to me. ) I would eliminate Generosity since the explanation in the most recent proposed Article II, shows that the term is not meant in the most common understanding of the term: giving. Instead, it seems to be about evangelism: “to freely and compassionately SHARE OUR FAITH, presence and resources” though it doesn’t say with whom. (I’m left wondering if it means just sharing within our group or outside the group. )
