Celebrate!
Since Independence Day happens this month in the US, it seems like July is a good month to celebrate the value of independence. After all, being independent thinkers is part of what makes us UUs!
Click on the links below to find out more about these holidays from around the world and how you might celebrate them in your family.
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We Honor… |
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| Michael Servetus, a truly independent thinker who died in the year 1553. Servetus lived during a time when debate about religion was bigger than American Idol is now. Until around the time of Servetus, pretty much the only Christian church was the Catholic Church. Protestant reformers like John Calvin, however, started arguing about some of the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church, which eventually led to the formation of Protestant churches, such as the Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, etc. So into the middle of this arguing came Michael Servetus, who was able to actually read the Bible—something that very few people of his time were able to do at the time. Both the Catholics and the Protestants understood God as the Trinity—the notion that God has three parts, including God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost (God acting in the world). Servetus said that the idea really wasn't to be found anywhere in the Bible. He also said that, unlike what Christians of the time believed, God didn't choose some people before they were even born to be saved, determining that most people would go to Hell after they died.
Servetus wrote a book on his religious beliefs, called On the Errors of the Trinity. Not surprisingly, it didn't go over very well with the Catholics, and he had to go into hiding, using an assumed name and changing his career to study medicine. Actually, one of the most important things Servetus did (under the name Michel Villeneuve) was to discover the way that blood circulates through the body, collecting oxygen from the lungs. But he couldn't bring himself to stop thinking and writing about theology (how we understand God). Figuring that he would have an ally in John Calvin, who had already publicly gone against the Catholic Church, he sent one of his books to the most famous Protestant reformer alive at the time. But Calvin was in enough trouble with the Catholics, and didn't want this dangerous radical making things worse. He declared Servetus a heretic, and although Servetus remained in hiding, one day he foolishly went to Calvin's church, was caught, and Calvin ordered that he be burned at the stake.
Michael Servetus believed in many things that most Unitarian Universalists don't embrace today, like demons and astrology. But some of his ideas, like the notion that God is not in three parts, and that God wouldn't choose just few people to saved before they are even born, were passed down to the folks who became the early Unitarians. But even more than that, we embrace his courage as an independent thinker, someone who struggled to work out his own beliefs, rather than just accepting what those around him believed.
Learn more about Michael Servetus and the ways he contributed to Unitarian Universalism. |
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Nurturing Your Spirit
Usually when we talk about spiritual practices we talk, not about independence, but about interdependence, the way all beings are connected. But Unitarian Universalists also affirm "the inherent worth and dignity of every person." In other words, we think that each person is precious as the unique, independent person that they are. You can celebrate your own unique spirit through "I am" statements. You can do this by yourself with a pen and a piece of paper, or in a group with everyone taking turns to share out loud. Just think of as many ways to finish the sentence "I am..." as you can. Like: "I am a sister. I am an animal lover. I am someone who loves to dance. I am caring. I am goofy. I am a daughter. I am a reader. I am a chocolate fanatic. I am a friend." and so on. Thinking of as many "I am" statements as you can, especially if you can share them and listen to the statements of others, is a great way to affirm the ways that each person is special, and different from any other person. But it is also a good way to remember the ways that we are connected, since part of who we are is our relationships as sisters, brothers, friends, sons, daughters, teammates, etc. Independent and interdependent. That's the UU way.
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Principles in Practice
Our spiritual practice above talks about both our first principle of "the inherent worth and dignity of every person," and our seventh principle of "the interdependent web of all existence." But there's another UU principle that connects to the importance of being an independent thinker. Our fifth principle talks about "the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." In other words, we think that each person has both the right and the responsibility to think carefully about decisions that matter. We need to learn about the effects of our choices, to gather information and to consult both our minds and our hearts. And then we think that everyone should have a vote in deciding the choices that we make, whether as a church congregation, or as a community or as a nation.
You can practice this principle in your family as well. Say, for instance, that your family needs a new car. Well, the grownups will have to make the final decision, since it's their money that will buy it. But everyone could think about what the choices are that go into choosing a car. How big a vehicle do you really need? Is it more important to have space to stretch out or to have good gas mileage that will be better for the planet? Is it more important that it have fun stuff, like a sunroof or a DVD player, or is it more important that you choose safety features like side airbags? If each person in the family thinks about what is important to him or her as an individual, and does some research to find out how to get those priorities, and if everyone shares and listens to each person's ideas and reasons, then it ups the chances of making a decision that everyone feels good about. |
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Act!
Independence can mean a lot of different things for different people. For a kid it might mean being able to walk to a friend's house by yourself. For an adult it might mean getting to make your own decisions on a work project. For people with disabilities, whether they have limited sight, hearing or ability to get around, independence can be as basic as being able to cross the street, turn on a light, know the phone is ringing or pick up the keys that you dropped. So organizations like Canine Companions for Independence or Guide Dogs for the Blind, that train dogs to help out people with tasks they can't do themselves, do a wonderful job helping people to live independent lives.
How can you help? Well, of course, donations are always welcome. (Just click on the organizations above to find out how to donate.) Maybe you'd like to do a fundraiser by making and selling dog biscuits. Some people can even help by serving as puppy raisers, bringing a potential service dog into their home for a year. These folks provide the care, basic training and experience in being in a variety of settings that will prepare a dog for the intensive training that a service dog needs. But everyone can be of help to people who use service dogs for independence by remembering that these are working dogs. You should never try to pet or play with a dog wearing a guide dog harness or a service vest unless the owner invites you to. These dogs have a job to do, and need to stay focused on their owners. Sometime the best way to help someone be independent is to stay out of the way! |
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