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Minister's Monthly Column: July 2010 July 2010 Monthly Column - "A Faithful Response" by Rev. Allison Farnum We bear witness to a controversial and stirring summer. a gulf coast oil spill; a bill vetoed by our Governor that would have given legislators undue power in the realm of women’s reproductive health; a continuing debate over the legislation in Arizona- its intentions and its realities. The response?  More blaming, more argument, less searching for common ground.  Each issue, which weighs deeply in our national conscience in one way or another, becomes polarized- politicized- playing on human fears and dichotomizing the human family into “us versus them.” In light of recent events in Arizona, my colleagues and I are asking for a faithful response.  Perhaps that is the call of summer.  Summer is a time when there might be more space to slow down, collect one’s thoughts, and respond faithfully.  For Unitarian Universalists, a faithful response is a thoughtful response.  Clinton Lee Scott, a Universalist minister and author of Religion Can Make Sense wrote in 1949, “To a Universalist there is no conflict between faith and reason. A New Testament definition of faith is ‘confidence in what we hope for.’ How simple it is!  To be confident of the desired outcome of some enterprise for which we are working is to have faith…” Therefore, to respond faithfully requires having a strong sense of what it is in which you place your confidence in, and a focus upon what you are working toward.  In our tradition, we are working towards moving beyond a time of “us versus them,” while honestly assessing our participation in these divisions and the changes wholeness requires of us.  This congregation’s mission is to minister to each other and the community at large.  Our faithful response is to make connections outside these walls in ways that are successful for the whole congregation.  For instance, a faithful response to divisive controversy is to deepen engagement with the Lee County Interfaith Sponsoring Committee by developing relationships with other people (not necessarily like-minded in all ways) who yearn also for a faithful response to the pressing issues of our time.  Interfaith community organizing is an opportunity we thoughtful, faithful justice-seekers should not miss. We need not think alike to love alike- Frances David If we agree in love, there is no disagreement that can do us any injury, but if we do not, no other agreement can do us any good.- Hosea Ballou A faithful response is to take our talk out onto the streets and glory in and struggle with how it changes us. I have faith that it will.

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