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Rev. Chris Jimmerson
June 21, 2020
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org
One of First UU Austin’s stated values is compassion – which we defined as “to treat ourselves and others with love”. What does living out that value look like, especially in these challenging times?
Chalice Lighting
This is the flame of our hearts as we strive for justice for everyone. This is the light we shine on systems of oppression until they are no more. This is the warmth we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.
Call to Worship
ON THE PATH OF COMPASSION
Steve Garnaas-HolmesBegin with gratitude
for all you have received,
that you see and that you do not see.
Let your gratitude grow into trust
that you are included in a great wonder;
and entrust yourself to the grace you are given.
Let your trust blossom into compassion
for all those who are also part of this oneness
who have been excluded, used or targeted.
Let your compassion flourish into solidarity,
knowing you are one with those who suffer
and that their wholeness is part of yours.
Let your solidarity bear fruit in justice,
working for freedom and fullness of life for all,
against all evil and oppression.
And when you are most challenged
by the forces of injustice,
most weary and discouraged,
return to gratitude
that you are guided, accompanied,
empowered and saved;
and entrust yourself to the undying love of God.
Affirming Our Mission
Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.
Meditation Reading
GATE A-4
Naomi Shihab NyeWandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement: “If anyone in the vicinity of Gate A-4 understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately.”
Well – one pauses these days. Gate A-4 was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing.
“Help,” said the flight agent. “Talk to her. What is her problem?
We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”
I stooped to put my arm around the woman and spoke haltingly.
“Shu-dow-a, Shu-bid-uck Habibti? Stani schway, Min fadlick, Shu-bit- se-wee?”
The minute she heard any words she knew, however poorly used, she stopped crying. She thought the flight had been cancelled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for major medical treatment the next day.
I said, “No, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just later, who is picking you up? Let’s call him.”
We called her son, I spoke with him in English. I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and ride next to her. She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it. Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends.
Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian poets I know and let them chat with her? This all took up two hours. She was laughing a lot by then. Telling of her life, patting my knee, answering questions. She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies – little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts – from her bag – and was offering them to all the women at the gate.
To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the lovely woman from Laredo-we were all covered with the same powdered sugar. And smiling. There is no better cookie.
And then the airline broke out free apple juice from huge coolers and two little girls from our flight ran around serving it and they were covered with powdered sugar, too. And I noticed my new best friend – by now we were holding hands – had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing, with green furry leaves. Such an old country tradition. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere. And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and I thought, This is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that gate – once the crying of confusion stopped – seemed apprehensive about any other person.
They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women, too. This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.
Sermon
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