Tonight begins Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the highest Holy Day on the Jewish calendar. It is a time of reflecting on the year that has past, to account for harms done, to clear them away, and begin again. This year, the days of awe and repentance, are overlaid with the deepest grief – the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel, and all the devastating days in Gaza and Israel that have followed. Reflecting on the tremendous loss of life and horrific trauma, it is hard to imagine how atonement and repair is possible.
But it is our imperative to never give up on the possibility of repairing the world through the transforming power of love and community. Our practices as Unitarian Universalists, are not as tightly bound to a liturgical calendar, but we nonetheless aspire throughout all our days to be accountable in our relationships, to make amends when we cause harm, and to contribute to making the world more whole.
The Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders considered whether we should hold a vigil on October 7th, creating space for mourning and lament. However, in consultation with our colleagues Rabbi London and Rabbi Weiss, we learned that there were other events around that day, which we didn’t want to conflict with. We decided instead to offer opening words at this year’s Vision Keeper Dinner, acknowledging and atoning for our failings at last year’s event.
My relationships with clergy in Evanston are life-giving and ministry sustaining. My hope is that these relationships among clergy will help connections grow among our congregations. We have much to learn and gain from one another. Which is why I’m so excited about the launch of our Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors series. Bob Mesle, Dan Solomon, Kathy Underwood and I have had two of the three orientation sessions, which were held on Zoom and recorded. Here are the links to those recordings:
Passcode: .w6N$k$U
Passcode: W7.v4yRH
Please join the next Zoom session on Tuesday, October 15th at 7pm if you are able.
Meeting ID: 942 2715 4074
Passcode: 971231
And if you haven’t registered yet, please do, so that you can stay informed on upcoming sessions.
In November, we will have our sessions exploring Judaism with Beth Emet the Free Synagogue. Rabbi Andrea London will join us on Tuesday, November 5th at UCE at 7pm. We know it’s Election Day, but the results won’t be in, and we’ll all need something else to focus on in that moment. Then, we’ll join Beth Emet for their Shabbat service on November 8th. And on November 19th, class participants will return to UCE to discuss what we’ve learned and how it might impact our growing relationship with the Beth Emet congregation.
Following sessions include:
Buddhism with Asayo Horibe in January
Bahá’í House of Worship with George Davis in February
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with Fr. Greg Milliken in March
Islam and the Muslim Community Center with Dawood Ali in April
Ebenezer AME Church with Rev. Deborah Scott in May
These are open to all congregants – members, friends, visitors ages 14 and older.
May we continue to grow and deepen our capacity to be in accountable, reparative and loving relationship across differences. May we strive to continually own our mistakes, repair harm, and create greater peace, justice, and liberation.
Yours in the journey,
Rev. Eileen
Practicing Beloved Community at UCE 