“How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale.”

Dear First Universalist Church,

This week has me thinking on fractals. Fractals are patterns found in nature that repeat over and over again, such as from the smallest inner circle of a pinecone to the larger, whole pinecone. Broccoli, ferns, seashells, peacock feathers – once you’re looking for them, fractals are everywhere. 

Author and activist adrienne maree brown compares fractals to change-making for a better world. She encourages us to “see our own lives and work and relationships as a front line, a first place we can practice justice, liberation, and alignment with each other and the Planet.” In other words, she writes, “How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale.”

For many of us, the large scale right now seems pretty bleak. Our SNAP benefits are disappearing. Our childcare is threatened by a looming teacher’s strike. Our immigrant neighbors are being detained and deported. Our trans kids are bullied at school and, sometimes, in their own extended families. It can feel as though there is nothing we can do to change the circumstances that are hurting us and the people we love. 

But at church, we know that when we ease the way for even one person, or two, or ten, we are creating meaningful change that ripples out from us in ways we may never fully understand. 

And so, at church, we are re-commiting ourselves to practicing Beloved Community in a fractal sense. Here’s a snapshot:

• We have Cub gift cards available for you if you have lost your SNAP benefits. Reach out to Rev. Jen at jen@firstuniv.org to receive a gift card.
• We are offering a free Strike Camp to support families in need of childcare during the (likely) upcoming Minneapolis Federation of Teachers’ strike. Learn more and register your family for Strike Camp here. 
• We continue to support immigrant families in Sanctuary. Our ministers are showing up for our immigrant siblings at protests, prayer vigils, and community events. 
• We provide LGBTQ+ affirming ministries for Children, Youth, and Families so that ALL kids can show up at church as their full selves and experience understanding, belonging, and welcome.

Some of you need to receive from the congregation right now: childcare, grocery funds, Sanctuary support. We are here for you, now and going forward. And, some of you are able to give to the congregation right now. 

Here’s how you can participate in our fractal change-making:

• Donate to our Ministers’ Emergency Fund so we can buy more Cub gift cards. 
• Volunteer with Strike Camp so we can serve all our Minneapolis Public School families.
• Serve as an adult Advisor with our 6th grade Religious Education program from January – May to continue our affirming ministries for kids and youth—we need to secure 5 more adult volunteers by Dec. 1. 

Email Rev. Laura (laura [at] firstuniv [dot] org) for more information about Cub gift cards, and email me (allison [at] firstuniv [dot] org) to volunteer with Strike Camp or Religious Education. 

Pinecones, ferns, peacock feathers, and us: may our faithful small-scale commitments make the big, big world a better place for everyone. With our congregation as the front line, may we co-create “justice, liberation, and alignment with each other and the Planet.” And may we give and receive in trust and in love, remembering that even this, even now, we are holding together.

With care,

Allison