“…it starts when you say ‘We’ and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more.”
– Marge Piercy, from The Low Road
Every month, All Peoples makes materials available to facilitate exploring a theological theme. Our January theme asks us to explore Practicing Resistance.
Practicing Resistance takes many forms. Sometimes resistance involves bravely picking up a picket sign; other times it asks us to courageously put down our masks and allow who we really are to see the light of day. Sometimes it involves defeating the enemy; other times it’s a matter of noticing that treating “them” as the enemy defeats us all.
Often the path of resistance asks us to stay in it for the long haul, but just as often it’s about taking that first tiny step. Most of the time it requires us to fight to the bitter end, and yet there are many moments when we need to stop resisting and let go. Resistance certainly takes the form of speaking the truth to power, but often what the world needs even more is for us to speak the truth in love.
We sometimes have a hard time seeing a place for ourselves in the work of resistance. The roles that get most lifted up are those of courageous front-line activist, dynamic organizer and charismatic spokesperson. While these roles are essential, there are many of us whose skills, attributes and passions just don’t mesh with them, making it hard for us to figure out how we can contribute to the causes we care so deeply about.
Perhaps living into our Unitarian Universalist values is the most powerful way that we can practice resistance. The overarching value of centering love in all we do empowers us to practice resistance in these ways:
To resist oppression, we practice JUSTICE
To resist privilege, we practice EQUITY
To resist stagnation, we practice TRANSFORMATION
To resist conformity, we practice PLURALISM
To resist isolation and siloing, we practice INTERDEPENDENCE
And to resist scarcity and greed, we practice GENEROSITY
One of the best ways to explore our monthly theme is to talk about it with people who are close to you. It’s also a great way to develop trust and deepen our relationships! So let’s explore together! Click
HERE to access a list of reflection questions.
