News: October 25, 2024
Dear Members and Friends,
Voting always makes me cry. US Presidential elections are the most emotional, but the truth is that every time I cast a ballot, I tear up a little. To have the right to select my government, a right denied to so many people throughout history (and even today), is a remarkable thing. So remarkable that it brings me happy tears every time I exercise it.
I found myself choking up this past Sunday, when our congregation voted to call the Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen as our Settled Senior Minister. It is magnificent to belong to a religious community that governs itself democratically. The Unitarian Universalist Rev. Parisa Parsa calls democracy “a commitment to the value of each person.” At its core, democracy is about trust in ourselves and in one another. It’s an exercise in vulnerability- to acknowledge that we are but one of many, and to open ourselves up to accept the will of the majority, even knowing that it’s exercised by imperfect human beings. On display on Sunday was our deep trust in and commitment to one another, our trust in the dedicated work of our Search Committee, our trust in the democratic process, and ultimately our trust in Rev. Colin and his vision for the future. And while we need not vote alike to love alike, the result showed that the vast majority of us were in agreement with calling Rev. Colin to settled ministry.
I’ve worked closely with Rev. Colin as a Board member and as part of the Capital Campaign team. I’ve seen firsthand his dedication to the congregation, his vision for our future, his compassion, and his personal integrity. (As the mother of boys, I’ve also seen what a devoted son he is to his mom, to me a great sign of character!) Calling Rev. Colin as our Settled Senior Minister has brought me a level of calm and relief that I find elusive in today’s geopolitically chaotic world. We all have much work to do to build the city and the world we want to see, but the foundation we’ve laid is strong.
I write in the midst of another election, one which may well re-shape the future of American democracy. From 2002-04, I served in the US Peace Corps, in a Central Asian country whose people are characteristically warm and hospitable, but whose authoritarian government is still considered one of the most repressive in the world. While I have extremely fond memories of community gatherings and playing with my host siblings, I also recall the time that the megalomaniac dictator re-named the months of the year for himself and members of his family, how school children would be taken from class and sent to pick cotton, and how carefully I self-censored my letters home in expectation that they’d be read. Voting and civil liberties are never something I’ll take for granted.
But my time in Central Asia also showed me the power of community. A common tool of autocrats is to diminish trust in community institutions, to preclude people from organizing, sharing ideas, or just generally finding strength in their common ties. A just leader will foster community; an authoritarian leader will undermine it. But humanity thrives in community- we humans will build it naturally, in all kinds of circumstances, and won’t relinquish it easily. The community I experienced in Central Asia was strong and resilient. I returned to the US with a deeper respect for the cultural importance of family and extended family, for traditional modes of communal living, and for the power that lies in our bonds to one another. I also returned with a stronger commitment to using the power of community to uphold democracy and human rights. (Also with a compelling need to make and serve food to people at all times, regardless of whether they are actually hungry. But I digress…)
Our congregation’s decision on Sunday showed me that our church community is strong, that we have a Senior Minister who is dedicated to strengthening it, and that we are determined to use this strength for good. That we are committed to our shared vision of widening love’s circle, and to working to make it happen over the coming decades. Our hope, love, and trust, even in the face of an uncertain future, gives me confidence that we can succeed in bringing more love to Houston and beyond. And, of course, I’ll make sure we have lots of snacks while we do.
And please, don’t forget to get out and vote early!
Nesip Bolsun! (May fate be with us.)
With love,
Shery
Sheryl Abrahams
Board President
Voting always makes me cry. US Presidential elections are the most emotional, but the truth is that every time I cast a ballot, I tear up a little. To have the right to select my government, a right denied to so many people throughout history (and even today), is a remarkable thing. So remarkable that it brings me happy tears every time I exercise it.
I found myself choking up this past Sunday, when our congregation voted to call the Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen as our Settled Senior Minister. It is magnificent to belong to a religious community that governs itself democratically. The Unitarian Universalist Rev. Parisa Parsa calls democracy “a commitment to the value of each person.” At its core, democracy is about trust in ourselves and in one another. It’s an exercise in vulnerability- to acknowledge that we are but one of many, and to open ourselves up to accept the will of the majority, even knowing that it’s exercised by imperfect human beings. On display on Sunday was our deep trust in and commitment to one another, our trust in the dedicated work of our Search Committee, our trust in the democratic process, and ultimately our trust in Rev. Colin and his vision for the future. And while we need not vote alike to love alike, the result showed that the vast majority of us were in agreement with calling Rev. Colin to settled ministry.
I’ve worked closely with Rev. Colin as a Board member and as part of the Capital Campaign team. I’ve seen firsthand his dedication to the congregation, his vision for our future, his compassion, and his personal integrity. (As the mother of boys, I’ve also seen what a devoted son he is to his mom, to me a great sign of character!) Calling Rev. Colin as our Settled Senior Minister has brought me a level of calm and relief that I find elusive in today’s geopolitically chaotic world. We all have much work to do to build the city and the world we want to see, but the foundation we’ve laid is strong.
I write in the midst of another election, one which may well re-shape the future of American democracy. From 2002-04, I served in the US Peace Corps, in a Central Asian country whose people are characteristically warm and hospitable, but whose authoritarian government is still considered one of the most repressive in the world. While I have extremely fond memories of community gatherings and playing with my host siblings, I also recall the time that the megalomaniac dictator re-named the months of the year for himself and members of his family, how school children would be taken from class and sent to pick cotton, and how carefully I self-censored my letters home in expectation that they’d be read. Voting and civil liberties are never something I’ll take for granted.
But my time in Central Asia also showed me the power of community. A common tool of autocrats is to diminish trust in community institutions, to preclude people from organizing, sharing ideas, or just generally finding strength in their common ties. A just leader will foster community; an authoritarian leader will undermine it. But humanity thrives in community- we humans will build it naturally, in all kinds of circumstances, and won’t relinquish it easily. The community I experienced in Central Asia was strong and resilient. I returned to the US with a deeper respect for the cultural importance of family and extended family, for traditional modes of communal living, and for the power that lies in our bonds to one another. I also returned with a stronger commitment to using the power of community to uphold democracy and human rights. (Also with a compelling need to make and serve food to people at all times, regardless of whether they are actually hungry. But I digress…)
Our congregation’s decision on Sunday showed me that our church community is strong, that we have a Senior Minister who is dedicated to strengthening it, and that we are determined to use this strength for good. That we are committed to our shared vision of widening love’s circle, and to working to make it happen over the coming decades. Our hope, love, and trust, even in the face of an uncertain future, gives me confidence that we can succeed in bringing more love to Houston and beyond. And, of course, I’ll make sure we have lots of snacks while we do.
And please, don’t forget to get out and vote early!
Nesip Bolsun! (May fate be with us.)
With love,
Shery
Sheryl Abrahams
Board President
