Choosing To Connect

By Rev. Drew Johnston, Minister

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bainbridge Island

and North Kitsap 
May, 2004

This is such a fine time of year in our part of the world! I notice the call of the great outdoors as much as anyone, and I know a lot of folks who answer that call. I see them less on Sundays now, and when I see them other times of the week there is sometimes a momentary pause, maybe an explanation of where they were last weekend.

Whether you think of nature as God's creation or a chance to commune with Mother Earth, there are abundant opportunities for religious experience outdoors. Recognizing our connection to the planet and appreciating the beauty around us are two paths that may lead toward a sacred feeling. It's a bit harder to achieve a sense of religious community, though, when you are out on your own.

Thus we come together, we congregate, periodically. Whether we gather in a church, a mosque, a synagogue, or temple, there is unique value in joining with others in community. If it were practical, we could gather outdoors instead, but that mostly doesn't work well. People sometimes ask, "Why go to church?" I expand that to ask, "Why gather in religious community?" and I think there are several good answers. Something is possible in community with others that is not possible alone, a sense of connection and sharing our common humanity, a reminder that we are not alone in our journey through life, and a chance for conversation and learning from each other. Some people seek specific answers to questions about how to live or what to believe, and I suppose that's possible, too. Any search for truth and meaning has better odds of being useful if we can learn from each other, if we can nurture the connections between each other. Connection is the value of religious community, regardless of specific beliefs.

We all probably believe a few things: that we are human, that we live, and grow, and die; that there is more to know than any one of us can ever learn; and that we form relationships that also grow and change and sometimes die. Discovering ways to deal with change and growth is part of religious community and comes from our connections to each other, and that which is more than us.

We have a choice in how we connect to each other. I often recall a time when my son was young and wanted to play, and I was busy working. He kept interrupting, and I heard myself say, "Not now, I'm busy." What I said was true, I was busy, but stopping to play may have been a better choice. I saw the hurt I had caused, and I was able to stop and apologize and play for awhile. It is often possible to mend broken connections, large or small. It might be easier to tend to them before they break!

Whether we do that in community or alone is one choice. Either way, nurturing healthy connections involves being a living example of peace, compassion, understanding, and openness. Another choice may involve some mending, an apology or two for missed opportunities. Why not phone someone you have been missing and let them know that you think about them? Or if you have recently said, "Not now, I'm busy," maybe it's time to pause and check your priorities.

Coming together in religious community is a great way to pay attention to our own development, and to each other. No matter what beliefs you carry with you, joining with others can be a source of tremendous comfort and strength. That strength helps us be more effective when we want to work for justice in the world. That comfort helps us be more present for each other in times of distress. And, by knowing each other better, we know who might want to come along when we seek our sense of connection in the great outdoors!

Meanwhile, there is a church or synagogue or mosque or temple waiting for you!