A Sermon by The Rev. Daniel Charles Davis

For the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem

November 18, 2007

          There is a comfort zone working with one’s own people. There is a common language, a common understanding. There is a purity in your action; it is unsullied by compromise. One can be safe from hypocrisy; one can be pious and pure.

          We Unitarian Universalists have high ideals. We were the first denomination to ordain women, for example. We were the chosen faith of Susan B. Anthony, crusader for women’s rights.

          I disagree strongly with any church that refuses to ordain women. Should I even associate with a faith that denigrates half of the human race? Yes. I do it all the time. This Tuesday, for the seventh year in a row, I will share the pulpit with a Catholic priest, at the interfaith Thanksgiving service. We disagree on a whole host of women’s rights issues. Yet we agree that the poor should be fed and the sick shall receive mercy.

          We could let our difference prevent us from doing good. He could declare me a heretic and I could declare him sexist. We could retreat into our righteousness. But instead we will gather at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, and collect food for the Crisis Control pantry and money to support AIDS Care Services. On that same stage a rabbi and an imam will overcome their differences and work together. The rabbi, imam, and I will be Unitarian in regard to our views about Jesus; the rest of the clergy will be Trinitarians.

          The needs of humanity trump all of our theories about divinity.

          But I also have sociological and political reasons to stay away from the interfaith service. I could stay away because it is a charity event. Charity may be just a Band-Aid that keeps the masses from rioting. It may give them food or shelter for a while but it does absolutely nothing to change an oppressive system. In fact, it may even support an oppressive system by muting the consequences of bad policy in which the rich get richer and let the do-gooders carry the burden of the poor.

          So I counter that by being involved in CHANGE—Communities Helping All Neighbors Gain Empowerment—churches and neighborhood groups united to make systematic policy changes by our local government.

          This is hard work on several levels. It was three years working with CHANGE before I heard a nonsectarian prayer, for example. Churches are the base of many IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) groups because they are natural gatherings of people. Well, the people who gathered in Winston-Salem were enthusiastically Christian. They seemed unable to understand that non-Christians were able to seek justice. After every meeting Gail and I would critique the leaders for lack of inclusiveness. We would see them try to improve and watch them fail. We could have retreated into our righteousness and assumed we were not welcome. But we went back because we saw a higher purpose than our feelings of being excluded.

          Another thing that is difficult about CHANGE is that it is political. Politics is messy. Rhetoric is often overblown. Sometimes angry words are spoken in public while agreements are being made in private. Sometimes gracious words are followed by no action at all. Temperatures rise and fall and distract from the long-term goal of changing the political climate.

          CHANGE has committed itself to addressing the concerns of the poor and working poor in this community. They have special task forces analyzing health care and the schools and jobs. These task forces are where the real work is done. Policy manuals are examined; different communities are looked at to see if the solutions worked out there might work here.

          The IAF is the parent organization of our local CHANGE group. In Baltimore they passed the first living wage law. In New York City they promote fair housing. In Massachusetts they took steps toward universal health care. In each instance they had allies and enemies from both political parties. In this town we have had some success. We mobilized people and secured some county funding for the Downtown healthcare initiative. But the next year funds were cut anyway.

          This past year we have had new leadership, and there were no significant battles. But what did occur was the training of new volunteers—people committed to being rained on how to organize. This past summer, 110 people attended these training sessions.

          The Unitarian Universalist Association encourages congregations to work with congregation-based organizations like CHANGE. The UUA has noted, "Congregation-Based Community Organizing is a movement that seeks to establish interfaith, cross-class, multi-ethnic and multi-racial grassroots organizations for purposes of increasing social integration and power in civil society and for making civic, regional and state-wide changes for social improvement. By ‘civil society,’ we mean the voluntary sector, including religious institutions." http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/congregation-basedcommunity/index.shtml

          At last count, 106 UU congregations are members of Congregation-Based Community Organizations—10% of our denomination. Forty-six of our congregations are involved with CBCOs supported by the IAF. UUs share with people of other faiths concerns about the quality of the educational system, racism, the environment, housing, immigrant rights and freedoms, public transportation, and affordable, accessible health care.

          Interfaith work puts us into the mix with other religious and with labor and community groups. UUs are working, as peers, with members of other religious traditions. Our survey reports concerns in this area, both in accepting work with people of other faiths and in being accepted. To be successful in faith-based organizing, UU congregations must be able to accept leadership from black and Hispanic congregations and individuals.

          Last May this congregation voted to support CHANGE. We decided to do this through special fundraisers that are separate from our operating budget. The goal is to raise $3,000, which represents $10 for every member. Each member will give in accordance with how much he or she feels the goals and action of CHANGE are congruent with our Unitarian Universalist values. Some will give nothing; others will give considerably more. The freedom to decide lies with each member.

          I hope that you give. I believe we can make a difference by working with this organization. By participating we have the opportunity to learn from other faith communities, and they will have an opportunity to learn about us. We are imperfect, the congregations we work with are imperfect, and any institution we build will be imperfect. It is easier to sit on the sidelines and keep our hands and our theology pure.

          But our high-minded values mean little if we do not find a way to put them into play. Over the next few weeks talk to those who have been working on the CHANGE teams. They can give you more information about what it is like to be involved in this organization, and how they can influence us and we can influence them.

          To change the world, we must also change ourselves. Our brains can be organized by cynicism: We can believe that we have no power, we can believe that there is nothing we can do. We need to disorganize that low self-concept, and reorganize, then replace it with a higher self-concept that recognizes the power we have. Our personal power grows when we come together with other people. Stepping out of our comfort zone is a learning experience for us; it is an opportunity to learn about others and ourselves.

          Our second principle encourages justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. We need to meet with others in our community as equals.

          Our fifth principle urges use of the democratic process in our congregations and in the community at large. The voluntary nature of this fundraising is democratic while protecting the individual’s right of conscience. Our membership constitutes one tenth of one percent of the population of Forsyth County. That will never win any election. We need to work with others whenever we can to advance our vision for the world.

          Our sixth principle urges us to seek world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

          May we consider these principles as we make decisions about our lives and our community.