FROM THE EDITOR

Molly Backes, Communications Coordinator

There is something I appreciate about physical ailments: I like how they bring me back to my body. I like how they put my brain in its place. They remind me that no matter how smart I think I am, I’m not really in control, because I live inside a body that is subject to illness and injury. It keeps me humble. It reminds me that I am a fragile mortal being in a world full of other fragile mortal beings, and our fragility and mortality binds us together in our brief and beautiful time on Earth.

Growing up UU, I sometimes envied my Catholic friends because their church had all the answers, while here at FUS I had to figure out on my own whether I believed in one or more gods and how I fit into the universal tapestry of all existence. I had a sharp, impatient brain that wanted answers, and I hated the uncertainty of our faith.

As an adult, I don’t trust anyone who claims to have all the answers. I appreciate the mysteries of life because just like physical pain, they keep me rooted in my humanity. I think about the thousands of generations of people who faced the same mysteries as we do, who looked up at the night sky and wondered about their role in the cosmos. The only certainty is that we’ll all die, but we humans go on hoping and dreaming and creating and falling in love anyway. It’s all so humbling. It’s all so beautiful.

The world hurts a lot these days. Some days it’s the gathering swarm, coming from all sides. Other days it’s the sudden jab, unexpected and sharp. Some days it feels impossible to keep going. We don’t have the answers. We don’t know what comes next. But even in the face of uncertainty, we go on loving the world. ◊