Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Always Learning

Sometimes, having grown up Unitarian Universalist, swimming in this water daily, I forget why our tradition is so special.

On Sunday, there were many newcomers to our church saying things like:

“I want a community but I’m skeptical of organized religion”

“I’m from an interfaith family and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere”

“My kids are starting to ask hard questions but I don’t know what to tell them”

“I don’t know if I believe in God or not”

“I feel like people need to come together across religions if there is ever going to be peace”

Imagine if you will, you are behind the counter of a coffee shop and someone says to you with tears in her eyes “What I really want is a warm beverage with some caffeine, but I just don’t know where to look.”

What can you say but “you’ve come to the right place.”

What seems ordinary to us seems like an unexpected gift to many.

Perhaps these folks will decide that they want to join our community for the long term, or perhaps they are with us for just one stop in a much longer journey. But for that morning while they are questioning and wondering, this is their place. We have something warm and nourishing to offer them.

How could I have taken it for granted?