Message From Meg

Portrait of Rev  Meg
Dear Friends,

I am very proud and excited that a movie about two Unitarians, Martha and Waitsill Sharp, which has been produced by Ken Burns, Defying the Nazis ,   will be airing on PBS on  September 20 . T he Sharps heroically went into Nazi Germany to rescue as many children as they could, risking their own lives for their faith.

CLF will be inviting people to be with us that night online, as we watch and then discuss the film.  But I also encourage those of you who are part of local communities to hold watching parties which are interfaith.  The movie will resonate with many of today's issues and encourage lively discussion.  The Sophia Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard seminary has created a curriculum to go with the film; it is visibly promoted on the PBS website .

When I was a teenager, and really learned about Nazi Germany and how that nightmare unfolded, I remember asking my parents, "How could the other Germans have let this happen?"  I was obsessed with wondering whether I would have been brave and stood up to the Nazis or whether I would have ignored what was going on.  As I've aged, I've realized you don't have to be in Nazi Germany to test your moral courage.

One of the horrific realities of the United States is that we incarcerate a huge percentage of our population.  Since the so-called "war on drugs" was launched in 1970 these rates have skyrocketed.  Overall we are five percent of the world's population; we incarcerate 25% of the people who are incarcerated globally. And I don't have to give you statistics for you to know this - Black men are six times more likely to be in jail than their white counterparts; Blacks and Latinos make up nearly 60% of those who are incarcerated.  Here in Minnesota, where I live, Native people bear the very worst in terms of incarceration. Just like those not targeted by the Nazis could go along with business as usual in Germany, it is easy for those of us with race and class privilege to ignore these vast numbers. I am proud that CLF does not do this.

Our prison ministry, 736 prisoners, is the largest UU outreach to prisoners in the country, but it's not the only one.  Many local congregations have been doing steadfast work for years-visiting prisoners, leading meditation classes, doing literacy work, helping people who have just come out of prison.  Believing that we have much to learn from each other, and that we are stronger when we collaborate, we are launching a new website to build collaborative capability and allow all UUs who are doing prison ministry to connect and be part of a growing movement to stop mass incarceration.  Currently, we are raising money to launch a new collaborative website called " Worthy Now: A Prison Ministry Network."  Worthy Now because, unlike most prison ministries, we do not believe that prisoners have to be reborn to have worth and dignity now. We have raised 75% of the necessary $7500 and many of you have given generously.  To those of you who have, my sincere thanks.

So I'm asking you a favor.  If you've already given what you can, could you please think of five people you know who are also horrified about mass incarceration, racism, and fundamentalists' claims to speak for God?  Whether or not these folks are Unitarian Universalist, could you share the fundraising site with them and tell them why this matters to you?  If each one of you found even one person to give us $15, we would meet our goal today!  Think about it-don't you have friends who want to do something and could chip in a few bucks?

Thanks so much.  We all know that courage is not an individual act so much as a community value.  I am so glad to be with you in these times, as we examine our souls to see how we might move forward together!

Warmly


Meg only signature

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Staff Introductions

Hi there, my name is Beth Murray. I grew up in Massachusetts, and started attending a UU congregation at age 8.  When I'm not at work, I'm talking (and usually eating!) with my husband & friends, thinking about my two young adult kids (ages 25 and 27), attending & volunteering at my local UU congregation, English or contra dancing, or teaching & playing a bit of piano.

If you call or email the CLF, you get me! In addition to talking, helping, and redirecting lots of emails and telephone calls, I process CLF memberships, work on Quest Monthly production, handle prisoner members' mail, and maintain Worship Express & RE Express subscriptions.  Pre and post GA, you'll find me surrounded by boxes to pack and unpack!
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