“God is still speaking.” The United Church of Christ
launched the “StillSpeaking” campaign in 2004 to help increase the relevance
and welcoming capacity of religion. In presenting the idea that “God is still
speaking,” the UCC reminded people that God, or the divine mystery that some
call God, still speaks to us today, through people, nature, new understandings
of holy texts, the arts, and more. The symbol for this campaign was the comma,
indicating the continuation of something that already exists. Something that we
were born into, but that is not yet finished. The comma reminds us that revelation
is ongoing and evolving, which means that we can always learn something new – if
we are willing to listen.
“Bismillah ir-Rahman
ir-Rahim.” “Insha’Allah.” “Alhamdulillah.” For many followers of Islam, these are
another way of punctuating faith, of repeatedly inserting reminders of God into
one’s daily life. The first is often said before eating or drinking. The second
means “if God wills” or “God willing,” and is often said after one shares
future plans. The third is a way to praise God at any moment, and is often
used at times when we might say “thank goodness” or “thankfully.” With these
phrases, Islam also punctuates life, but not with marks like the United Church
of Christ; Islam punctuates life with gratitude. Gratitude for the gifts that we
receive in our lives, for the forces that are so beyond our control that we
cannot name or understand them, yet we know that they are there, sustaining our
lives.
“Let us give reverent attention in our worship life and our educational work to serving the beauty and goodness of life…Let us make love the first—and not the last—resort.” In the face of the brokenness in the world, Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker reminds us to intentionally place love at the forefront of our faith. She reminds us that we too can punctuate. So how do you as a Unitarian Universalist understand the mystery that some call God, the divine, Love, the source, or creation? In what ways do you remember and honor its presence throughout your days? How do you punctuate your faith?
“Let us give reverent attention in our worship life and our educational work to serving the beauty and goodness of life…Let us make love the first—and not the last—resort.” In the face of the brokenness in the world, Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker reminds us to intentionally place love at the forefront of our faith. She reminds us that we too can punctuate. So how do you as a Unitarian Universalist understand the mystery that some call God, the divine, Love, the source, or creation? In what ways do you remember and honor its presence throughout your days? How do you punctuate your faith?
