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Rev. Justin Schroeder writes:

If you were here last Sunday, you know that the church was abuzz after Rev. Karen Hutt’s sermon. As a queer African American, Unitarian Universalist minister, Rev. Hutt affirmed and celebrated the racial justice work that we’re doing as a congregation – work grounded in our faith as we seek to more fully understand and dismantle white supremacy as it exists all around us – in policies, institutions, habits and practices. She also invited us to imagine what an ethnic Unitarian Universalist church might look like, a church where one’s cultural heritage and identity did not have to be given up in order to feel at home.

It was a provocative sermon, from a beloved Colleague, and it reminded me of why we are on this racial justice journey:

• We are on this journey because our faith, fully realized, requires it, and because we know that our collective wholeness and salvation is wrapped up in dismantling the systems of racial oppression that this country is founded on, and that white people continue to benefit from. We are not on this racial justice journey in order to bring many more people of color into First Universalist, though this may be a byproduct of our faithful efforts, as our church culture, habits, and practices begin to change to reflect our racial justice learnings.
• We are on this journey because of the people of color who are already a part of our congregation (on the Board, as Worship Associates, in Religious Education, on the Racial Justice Leadership Team, and worshipping in the sanctuary every Sunday), who are Unitarian Universalists and want to bring their whole, full selves to this faith community.
• We are on this journey so that as an institution, we know how to be in right relationship with other institutions, including faith communities, that are working for racial justice.
• Above all, in listening to Rev. Hutt’s sermon, I am reminded that this racial justice journey is messy, complicated, and emotional. Guilt and shame are poor tools for moving this work forward. Only curiosity and compassion, deep relationships, humor, provocative and honest conversations, and safe spaces to listen, learn, and grow, can do that.

This is the journey we’re on, and Rev. Hutt’s sermon adds another voice and another chapter to our journey. As always, I’d be delighted to meet with you to talk about our racial justice journey, or any other part of your faith journey.

I’ll see you in church,
Justin