UUA President William G. Sinkford Offers Holiday Message

Watch Rev. William G. Sinkford deliver this message via video!

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December 12, 2002

My dear friends:

This is the season of the earth's rest and renewal,
When we kindle flames against the darkness;
When we await the promise of the returning light;
When we hold in our hearts the possibility of peace;
When we celebrate the power of community in our lives;
When we count the blessings of friends, family and the larger family of faith which supports us.

The highlight of the holiday season in my home church was the Christmas Eve service. The sanctuary darkened. The children processed in, a candle cradled in each pair of small hands. Every flame brought more light and more hope to the congregation.

Throughout this year, hope has been hard to find. The fallout from September 11, economic downturns, snipers in Washington, bombs in Bali, guns in our schools, suicide bombers in the Holy Land, compromises to our civil liberties at home, and now a looming war with Iraq. Fear and uncertainty have been our constant companions this past year. Beyond the triumphs and tragedies of our individual lives, the world has often seemed an inhospitable home for the human spirit.

But in a world seemingly spinning out of control, our congregations have been islands of love and community. Our religious professionals have ministered so well, providing comfort and support even as they have struggled to find a ground of hope in their own lives.

I, too, have searched for hope through this year. My family and my prayer life, deepening as the year has progressed, have sustained me. But I have also thrown myself into efforts to raise a religious voice in a world intent on war, calling for partnership with the international and interfaith community, and refusing, in the search for safety, to neglect the need for justice.

This work goes on. I have just returned from several days in Washington, DC, days that renewed my hopes for peace. On December 10, International Human Rights Day, I addressed a gathering of more than 700 people at a noon-time march that made its way past the White House. This gathering included representatives from all of our DC-area congregations and was sponsored by a Bethesda, Maryland-based interfaith coalition that includes our River Road and Cedar Lane churches. Later that day, I joined with other Unitarian Universalists at a silent vigil for peace on the West Lawn of the Capitol. I know that many of you have stood vigil in your communities as well, and I hope you will continue to search for ways to make your feelings and our presence felt.

On December 11, I participated in a press conference sponsored by the Win Without War group, a coalition of civic groups and religious organizations asking that our government allow the U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq to proceed. I stood alongside representatives from Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, the National Council of Churches, and the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, and I raised a Unitarian Universalist voice for peace.

In this season of holidays and holy days, the question for us is not whether we will continue to raise our voice. We are doing that…more and more effectively.

The question is not whether we will witness for justice and oppose oppression of all kinds. We are going to do that.

The question is not whether we will find new ways to grow and offer our Good News to a hurting world. We are committed to that course.

The question for us -- our challenge -- is to sustain and support our congregations as places that offer genuine community, congregations that offer both spiritual challenge and spiritual comfort, congregations that prove that the Spirit of Life can find a welcoming home. A welcoming home, even in a time when hope is hard to find.

May you find joy and even some rest in this season. Without doubt, we will continue to be tested in the months ahead. The need for our voice will not diminish. Though we cannot heal all of the brokenness of the world, we can hold fast to a vision of the Beloved Community and help our world move toward wholeness.

May you find support and hope in the ceremonies of the season. The quiet sanctuary. The children's faces. The light cast by the candles. The community which gathers to witness these and to bear witness to our faith.

Blessings of the season.

In faith and in hope,

Rev. William Sinkford

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