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“Wherever you have received much love, that is your home.”
—Dalai Lama, Tibetan saying
Lisa Gregory, Guest Editor
I think of imagination as a landscape of possibility, a place where we let our minds take flight and rethink what might come to be. A journey can take us through broad vistas, twists, and sometimes difficult turns before we reach a destination.
But maybe we are too often in a hurry to reach the end. It can be important to pause and reflect, and not feel pressured to find answers right away. We all continue to live through such complicated and often heart-wrenching times of searing injustice, which threatens our democracy and disproportionately impacts BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. And, as of this writing, we continue to struggle with the realities of COVID-19.
The Unitarian Universalist Association is also going through a significant transition as we continue our culture change work, both within and as we show up again and again for justice in the larger world.
We are in the process of saying goodbye to a much beloved spiritual and prescient leader as we anticipate the election of a new UUA president in June. As Rev. Sara LaWall, minister of Boise UU Fellowship in Idaho, said of President Susan Frederick-Gray, “She has this extraordinarily authentic pastoral presence combined with really tenacious leadership.” (See “Leadership in Unprecedented Times.”)
Amidst uncertainty, we turn to our eclectic UU faith that offers the freedom to find spiritual sustenance and guidance from many traditions, discovering wise, pastoral, and prophetic lessons in myriad ways.
I learned recently that Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama were friends, which, somehow, I found very reassuring. Desmond Tutu once asked his friend why his decades-long exile hadn’t made him sad. The Dalai Lama responded that, rather than live in a “golden cage,” he prefers the refugee life because it gives him more opportunity to learn. He then shared a Tibetan adage: wherever you receive love you will also find home. (A video of their conversation is available on YouTube.)
We hope that this issue of UU World helps to create space for reflection and conversation about our shared aspirations. As we anticipate the future, we pay special attention to the stories of youth and families, life-saving ministry, and foundational work. In this moment, may we continue to find inspiration and resiliency in the diverse voices of our UU community.
Lisa Gregory, Guest Editor