Memorial Day and our UU Principles and Values
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Memorial Day is a time reserved for honoring members of our country's armed forces who have died while in service. Unitarian Universalist principles and values can be seen as a questioning of nationalism, militarism, and violence. The tension is real. Yet perhaps some of that can be resolved when we remember that Memorial Day is not fundamentally a celebration of war, but is rather a day of remembrance for lives lost and an occasion to confront the human cost of political decisions -- and that our UU principles call on us to respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person (including veterans), to care for all who bear war's consequences (including veterans, military families, refugees, and civilians), to work for world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all, and to remember that accepting one another and encouraging each other to spiritual growth means we reserve space for differing experiences of military service within a congregation. Some UUs are veterans; others are conscientious objectors; many are both patriotic and critical.
Today's message will take on a presentation-discussion format, with several ASWUU veterans and armchair historians sharing on selected subtopics, followed by a thoughtful discussion with the congregation.
The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will be available on Facebook Live. To participate remotely, go to the ASWUU Facebook page and click the Live link.
We will have a time for fellowship after the service, where the coffee and conversation are always rich. You may bring a dish to share if you would like to do so.
