my daughter just loves going to her grandmom's church. she loves the toys, the kids, the coloring and crafts, the snack, all of it. she is always excited about going. the only problem is that my husband and i both do not feel comfortable with many things that church teaches. so we have been dropping her off for children's church, leaving, and then picking her up afterwards.
something just didn't feel right about that. but i continued, because she was just so happy going. then my mom made a comment that emma was growing up in that church, and it made me realize we were starting a practice that might be hard to break later. i also realized that many of the things we don't like about that church might stick to my daughter, and while i am all about letting emma choose what she wants to believe about god, i also think i should do my best to be responsible about how we go about that. and dropping her off, leaving to get coffee, and picking her back up just didn't seem very responsible. i started to think it would be much better for her if we could make it a family experience.
so this weekend we visited a new church. one that seemed to be in line with everything both lynn and i believe. everything we would like to pass down to our daughter. it is a unitarian universalist church. everything i read on the website sounded wonderful. they celebrate diversity in beliefs, and welcome the study of many different world religions. people are welcome believe whatever they want to believe, and to not be judged for it. the doctrine is love. they believe in being compassionate towards others, peace, and trying to make the world a better place. they believe in equal rights for all people, including gay rights, which is huge for a church. and the church has been around for hundreds of years, and past members include famous folks such as Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, T. S. Eliot, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, and Christopher Reeves, among many others.
it all sounded good. so we thought we'd give it a shot.
we walk in, and were warmly greeted by members. the three of us sat down, waited, and listened. they told a children's story, and then emma was whisked off to the preschool room. they had a guest speaker this week. his message was surprisingly wonderful. he talked about the show sesame street, and the effect the show has had over the years on creating interracial awareness. i had really never thought of the show in that way. but yes, it does show people of all colors and abilities interacting, sharing, and being friends. he related it to how we teach these things to our children, how to teach them to be open minded to all people and to all beliefs. my favorite thing that he said was that our children are not to be indoctrinated and told what to think, we are to help them learn how to think for themselves and come up with their own ideas about life and god. i love that the people at this church don't believe that they have all the answers! i love the plurality of it. the space for differing beliefs to exist peacefully in the same place. and for the plurality to actually be celebrated! what a beautiful thing.
the hymnal contained christian, jewish, buddhist, hindu, pagan, among other readings.
i saw gay people, a gay white couple with 2 adopted black children, and i used the restroom after a transgendered woman. it was so refreshing to see these people accepted and respected as they are. that is the true definition of love. that is god.
if only the rest of the world could be so accepting.
i am pleased to know that it does exist in our world. and i am pleased to become a part of such a community.
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05 July 2009
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