The word gospel literally means “good news.” So perhaps it’s fitting that we follow up on the gospel reading from Easter Sunday (and conclude our month on The Practice of Joyfulness) with some good news about a joyful Earth.

Bridging these two Sundays, though, my mind has been lingering on a little piece of the sermon on Easter. I observed that the Jesus portrayed in the gospel narratives didn’t sit in one place and wait for people who needed care to come and find him. The way of Jesus is to seek out people who need care, healing, connection, affirmation, comfort, reassurance—good news. 

As Unitarian Universalists, we hold a vision for the world. Sometimes, we also hold competing commitments. We envision a world characterized by equitable interdependence. A world free of exploitation, in which all people are cared for and safe from violence. A world in which everyone thrives together, while fully embodying all of humanity’s rich diversity—where no one has to give up who they are in order to experience love and belonging.

Maybe that vision doesn’t seem realistic to us. So we settle for something less than that vision. We set our sights on something slightly less inspiring that feels more achievable. We draw a circle around a subset of humanity perhaps, and hope for a more limited version of collective thriving. In other words, maybe we hold a commitment to achievement that competes with our grander vision of a wholeness.

Or there’s something about our vision of the world that doesn’t feel safe. What if we’re being naïve? What if other people take advantage of us when we live into our values of justice and equity and generosity? What if other people’s commitment to transformation and interdependence is lacking and we wind up not getting what we want or need? Maybe we have a commitment to feeling safe that competes with our commitment to a vision of wholeness. 

I wonder what it would require for us to take seriously the invitation to embody liberating love as fully as possible. What would it be like for us to confidently proclaim the good news of Unitarian Universalism? Would we actively seek out people who need to know that they’re cared for and valued? Would we invest our time and energy on connection rather than protection? 

Maybe we would affirm in every interaction some version of, The way I see it, every person is worthy of love and belonging, no exceptions. Or we’d be able to declare to anyone in our path, I orient myself toward a vision for the world in which everyone thrives together, and that includes you.

Perhaps we just calibrate (and recalibrate) our lives with the intention: Through all my actions and interactions, I nurture the world toward wholeness.

What would sharing our good news—a vision for the world characterized by liberating love—look like in your life? What competing commitments hold you back?

Share this post: