From UUCGV Board President, Elizabeth High

 Although tragedies are constantly unfolding in different parts of the world, sometimes a tragedy really hits home. For me, this is true of the recent shooting at a grocery store frequented by my dad and stepmother; a grocery store which I grew up going to regularly.

When my world splits open that way, I feel urgency to deepen my spirituality and be of service in this world. And I feel boundlessly grateful to have found a community that can amplify that desire and be a force for positive change.

This quote from an article on the gratefulness.org website about a group called “TreeSisters” summarizes my feelings about UUCGV:

As the forests burn and fear rises, the choice to continue bringing all your creativity to something that builds hope and comfort, that believes in everyone and calls for their greatness, and that provides directly relevant and impactful solutions… is such a relief.
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​~ Clare Dubois

     Each time we feel paralyzed by feelings of helplessness about the state of the world, we can choose to do some small concrete task to help UUCGV create hope and comfort. We can choose to do some small concrete task to help UUCGV create directly relevant and impactful solutions to world problems.

     As Pamela Haines writes at http://www.findingsteadyground.com/

     The goal of injustice is to breed passivity — to make us believe that things happen to us, events happen to us, policies happen to us. To counteract this, we need to stay in touch with our sense of personal power. One goal is to see ourselves as people who create, whether it’s cooking a meal, organizing a dazzling dramatic action, knitting a hat, making a sign, or playing the piano. We are more than consumers, and our humanity must be affirmed.

     The energy from our grief and anger can be channeled into energy working for good. Sometimes it will be fun and creative. Other times it may not look very exciting. It may involve tackling some unpleasant and mundane task that we have been procrastinating but which will be helpful to a larger picture goal that will benefit others.

​     Let’s support each other by believing in each other and ourselves and by drawing out that greatness that can shine forth when we set our egos aside. Let's take full advantage of the blessing of finding ourselves together in this valley, at this critical point in time in our world.