Issue 8078

THE

INQUIRER £1 | Issue 8006 | 2 March 2024

The voice of British and Irish Unitarians and Free Christians

Step into the Divine

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Jo James writes of the spiritual threshold

THE

INQUIRER The Unitarian and Free Christian Paper Established in 1842, The Inquirer is the oldest nonconformist religious newspaper.

Inquiring Words…

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

“To promote a free and inquiring religion through the worship of God and the celebration of life; the service of humanity and respect for all creation; and the upholding of the liberal Christian tradition.”

Paul – Letter to the church at Phillipi 4:8

From the Object passed at the General Assembly of the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches 2001

Last month a series of online informational and pastoral sessions was launched by a group of Unitarians in the pursuit of peace, starting with a vigil and sharing circle on 30 January. The vigil offered space to process grief and other feelings, and to share thoughts resulting from the actions since October 2023. The vigil revealed the need for such spaces within our Unitarian community and will continue to take place every first and third Wednesday of the month.

Participants are invited to bring a candle to light, or an object to hold as sacred.

On Saturday 17 February, Dr James Chiriyankandath (an Elder and member of Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead) led a session on the history between Palestine and Israeli, sharing an overview on how we got to where we are, giving focus on what is happening now, and what has followed since 7 October. James guided us through a dialogue on how we continue to bring about conditions where humanity and justice prevail in what is one of the worst conflicts of the 21st century. A recording of James’ talk will be available online soon.

Please join us on Tuesday 12 March at 6.30pm for a dialogue about what Unitarian faithful witness looks like, led

by Adam Slate (member of New Unity and ministry intern at Rosslyn Hill Chapel). How can our values help us engage with an issue where many of us have struggled to find our footing? There will be an opportunity to share some of the challenges that have led us to remain silent within a faith that historically has been the lone voice speaking up for justice issues.

All the sessions can be joined using the following details: Bit.ly/unisocialjustice Meeting ID: 824 3506 4346 Passcode: 183874

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www.unitarian.org.uk Page 2 | Issue 8078 – 2 March 2024

Take action for peace Participate

Shana Parvin Begum, Unitarian ministry student

Donate

The Red Cross appeal for humanitarian aid for Israel and Gaza continues. To donate, please ring 0300 456 1155.

Give online by visiting redcross.org.uk or by post to: Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal, British Red Cross, 44 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AL.

Jo James writes of entering a sanctuary, the threshold of the Divine

Of reverence and memory When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual round of entertainments, when serious public conversation becomes a form of baby-talk, when, in short, a people become an audience, and their public business a vaudeville act, then a nation finds itself at risk; culture-death is a clear possibility.

Neil Postman from Amusing Ourselves to Death A troubled young man (let’s call him I believe this kind of psychological Bob) came into our chapel during shock is a universal experience; all a service. Bob comes quite often; of us experience a transitional sense “All of us experience and I like him. He suffers from a of dislocation or shock on coming combination of issues arising from into participation with such a sacred a transitional sense his atypical neurological condition space, even if we have different of dislocation or and his tendency to over-rely on ways of dealing with it. If you’re self-medicating with drink and sometimes late and arrive in a rush shock on coming into drugs. He sometimes spills his drink in the middle of a service, you’ll participation with such a or drops his belongings or even already know this on some level. slides right to the floor. But on this I often allude to the threshold, to sacred space.” occasion he was right out of it, and how courage is important, how he interrupted the quietest part of the journey between the head and the service. I had to make a really heart is the most important and difficult calculation: how many also the most difficult. A service people’s experience of prayer can be disrupted for the of worship is carefully and intentionally constructed to sake of one person? As kindly as I could, I asked him to facilitate gentle psychological transition – to navigate leave. the psychological territory well is a deliberate element.

These intentional liturgical building blocks, the structure of a service, can be more obvious or less so, according to A vast and decorative sacred space the style of the worship leader. But, in a good service, But it’s been on my mind since, and I shared the story they will always be there. with a friend (let’s call him Billy) who suffers from many of the same social and mental health problems as Bob. Billy is autistic and he described the sense of Holding different experieces in community shock that a person like him feels, having come from the I believe that our Unitarian approach to the Divine is brightness outside where his defences are all way up on participatory – we hold a space for a direct personal full, into this chapel, this enclosed but vast and decorative experience of the sacred. But the fact that each of us space, where people are sitting quietly and the light and is personally responsible for what we believe – and how acoustic quality are so different. Billy explained that Bob we feel about that experience – makes our process very could have experienced a disorienting psychological shock important. Because without doctrines which delimit or that he couldn’t handle. proscribe the nature of our experience, it is important Continued on page 4 > www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 3

“Our culture simply doesn’t know what to do with reverence, and that is why faith is largely ignored; that’s why church provokes the antagonism and hostility it does.”

Shown left: Mill Hill Chapel photo provided by Jo James

Continued from page 3 >

we are able to hold some quite different feelings and experiences in community together. I am not trying to make specific or particular truth claims about God or beliefs at this point. I am talking about the way we approach the sacred.

Transition from the mundane to the holy When I was thinking about trying to say what I mean, I realised I could do it better through a quite specific example. Think about the story of a wedding. It doesn’t have to be your own, but it could be. Start right at the very beginning, what happens first? Well, first of all is the preparation, and this can begin weeks or even months ahead, perhaps buying clothes, booking train tickets.

Then, on the day, an early start, making a journey to an unfamiliar place, then arriving at last and spotting friends in the distance along with family outside the church. And, as we draw nearer and begin to greet one another, small talk and body language communicate the recognition of social networks and our position within them.

But no matter how special or fancy a wedding is, it is an example of a service of worship. It follows the same pattern. And when you get to know it, it works in exactly the same way as any other service. It is carefully designed to allow us to make a transition from the ordinary and mundane into proximity with the sacred and holy.

It doesn’t matter how you define sacred, by the way.

Whenever you make this journey towards the sacred you instinctively ‘genuflect’; you physically express awe, the impact of awe on the body. Think of a moment when someone draws your attention to something sacred: look at this baby’s fingerprint, smell this honeysuckle.

Reverence has a way of being which we know instinctively, but which our culture is in danger of distracting us from because it has no use for it. Our culture simply doesn’t know what to do with reverence, and that is why

faith is largely ignored; that’s why church provokes the antagonism and hostility it does. I’ve noticed recently that people are beginning to forget their way around a wedding – because the wedding, once part of church going, is dislocated from it – left in the lurch. (Did you know that phrase comes from the waiting area that is sometimes attached to the church lychgate . If a bride didn’t show up, her groom was ‘left in the lurch’.)

There are many very famous examples in films of exactly what I ‘m talking about. Think of Four Weddings and a Funeral, which begins with its protagonist waking up late and rushing to the service where he, of course, crashes the temperature of the sanctuary and encounters a psychological shock for which he is completely unprepared.

The sacred and the profane Another even more famous example: ‘The Godfather’ starts with a wedding. Francis Ford Coppola, a Catholic, would know very well that a wedding precedes a christening, and it is at the christening that the protagonist becomes The Godfather. And, in the famous scene where Michael (played by Al Pacino) settles all his family debts, he is in church and the Latin liturgical singsong, ‘Do you renounce the devil and his works?’, ‘I do’, is shockingly juxtaposed with the most savage and bloody butchery that exposes precisely the difference between the sacred and the profane. The film maker is here, exploiting exactly the same profound psychological shock I’ve been describing.

The ‘lurch’, the church vestibule, is a place of transition.

(That is what the word profane really comes from. We take it to mean the opposite of reverence – but it really comes from the room before the sacred. The pro fane – the lurch.)

I’m trying to make us all conscious of this threshold – not Continued on page 5 >

Page 4 | Issue 8078 – 2 March 2024

“We covenant our worship exclusively to another and no less. In a funeral, we collectively acknowledge another kind of threshold, a transition that we understand even less well.

These momentous transitions are dislocated when they come out of proximity with places of reverence. ”

Of reverence and memory Continued from page 4 >

because I want to preserve the theatre or drama of it, but the very opposite. I want you to know what is available to authentically experience within it and why. Because if we are to be able to preserve the authenticity of this experience, we must always be renewing and revising, always consciously adjusting our selves, always returning, like a flame that is always becoming. That is our uniqueness. Our way of faith is not to profess a belief, a creed, or an ultimate answer, but to experience together a way of moving towards it, a means of approach.

Weddings and funerals operate levers Where should one learn about the insights of the spirit? asks Rabbi Abraham Heschel in his wonderful essay ‘The Vocation of the Cantor’: Where are the occasions for inner silence? … Who will teach us how to be still? … It is surely important to develop a sense of humour, but is it not also important to develop a sense of reverence? We must learn to be sensitive to the spirit. One needs an atmosphere, where the concern for the spirit is shared by a community … we need the company of witnesses, of human beings who are engaged in worship, who for a moment sense the truth that life is meaningless without attachment to God …”

I’ve used the example of a wedding, but I could just as easily outline a funeral. It operates the same levers of reconnection and reverence. In a wedding we vow to endure the greatest pressure our lives can put us through; being with someone who will, for sure, operate all our personal levers. We covenant our worship exclusively to another and no less. In a funeral, we collectively acknowledge another kind of threshold, a transition that we understand even less well. These momentous transitions are dislocated when they come out of proximity with places of reverence. Places like church – of which we now seem to understand so little.

I believe that far from providing comfort, the connection to God provides disturbance, a psychological pressure that there is no way out of; the only way out is through. And while we walk through this disturbance together, the way we walk becomes of first importance. The way we hold one another through the great transition of life in connection with another.

Superstition, like belief, must die.

And what remains when disbelief has gone?

I’ll end with Philip Larkin’s words – the closing stanza of his poem Church Going – because it is poetry, not theology, which can contain the deepest truth, as Jesus knew when he called on the prophet Isaiah to begin his ministry on that Sabbath day.

A serious house on serious earth it is, In whose blent air all our compulsions meet, Are recognised, and robed as destinies.

And that much never can be obsolete, Since someone will forever be surprising A hunger in himself to be more serious, And gravitating with it to this ground, Which, he once heard, was proper to grow wise in, If only that so many dead lie round.

Jo James The Rev Jo James is minister at Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds, and is convenor of the Executive Committee of the Unitarian General Assembly.

www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 5

Celia Midgley writes of the power of Unitarian women as we mark International Women’s Day this week

Reclaiming women’s history The Uncovering the Hidden Power of Women in Unitarian and Universalist Histories (Webinar) was the third in a series of international Unitarian and Universalist collaborative programmes for the Reckoning International Unitarian and U/U Histories Project, an ad-hoc group of Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist historians and ministers committed to uncovering oppressed, marginalised and hidden stories in our histories.

Two Speakers, three responders the developing Khasi Unitarian and a wealth of women’s history story. The backdrop was and is “These stories of uncovered. This webinar in a matrilineal society, where the November was impressive, in mother’s name and the property women’s ministry and content and breadth, as the main pass down through the female devotion deserve, as stories told, from India, the USA, line, though the man is head of the evoked tales from other parts of the family and the men speak and vote Ann Peart concluded, world including Bolivia, Transylvania on committees and are largely the ‘to be told and become and the United Kingdom. leaders at public events.

The Rev Claudia Elferdink’s Pharienbon married Hajom Kissor a significant part of our words ‘There is no one story, no Singh in 1887 when she was only wider picture.’” one history,’ spoken by her co15 years old. A Welsh Calvinistic coordinator the Rev Lehel Molnar, Methodist until then, she converted were a cautionary welcome, to Unitarianism and from that counselling us to set aside point devoted herself to supporting prejudices and widen our expectations. Our moderator, her husband and running the home. This role was more the Rev Rosemary Bray McNatt, president of Starr King demanding than it might seem, however, as his position School for Ministry in the USA, then introduced the as a government servant meant that their house was two main speakers, Alisha Rani, professor of Sociology frequented by many work colleagues as well as Unitarians. at St Dominic’s College in Shillong, India, and the Rev It was a true ‘open house’ where guests were fed, Qiyamah Rahman, executive director of Sister Source overnight hospitality provided and labourers and workers Inc. in the USA. That the two women’s presentations were catered for. Her generosity to all was well known, were very different from each other was in itself a helpful not least those poorer than herself. She died at the age of prompt to the later responses from the Rev Dr Ann 44.

Peart, the Rev Maria Pap and Olga Flores.

Qiyamah’s presentation Qiyamah’s focus was on five Black Unitarian Universalist Alisha’s presentation women ordained in the 1980s and 1990s. Quoting former Alisha chose to focus on one woman, Pharienbon Rani, UUA President the Rev Susan Frederick-Gray, she the first Khasi woman to become a Unitarian. Her pinpointed a UUA General Assembly decision to increase husband’s name, Hajom Kissor Singh, is well known recruitment of women to serve in ministry and policyas the founder of Unitarianism in the Khasi Hills, but making roles as a significant landmark.

Pharienbon’s less so, yet she emerged as a key figure in Page 6 | Issue 8078 – 2 March 2024

“‘You have to forge your own ministry,’ commented Maria Pap, reflecting on Transylvania but with wider application.”

Shown left: Participants were listed on Starr King promotional material.

The first of these five women highlighted by Qiyamah, the Rev Dr Yvonne Seon ordained in 1981, felt ‘not very welcomed and … essentially ignored’ in her early encounters with UUism. The second, the Rev Dr Adele Smith-Penniman, ordained in 1982, had a background of civil rights activism and even a burning KKK cross outside her church. The third, the Rev Dr Michelle Bentley, recalled the support and camaraderie from other Black UU women ministers in the 1980s, while the fourth, the Rev Dr Toni Vincent, wrestled publicly with competing social justice demands. The fifth, Marjorie BowensWheatley, was proud to give the charge at Adele SmithPenniman’s induction at Concord, Massachusetts, in 1995. All five are deserving of more column inches.

The responses All three responders, Ann Peart, Maria Pap and Olga Flores, offered comparisons and contrasts. Olga, scholar and activist from Bolivia, warmed especially to the story of Pharienbon Rani. Hospitality is sacred in Bolivia and the community is an extension of the family. Olga noted shrewdly that people were attracted to Pharienbon (as much as to her husband?); clearly, this young woman had a key role in the growth and development of Unitarianism in the Khasi Hills. Olga identified with Alisha’s Khasi background. Indigenous groups everywhere, she observed, have a way of relating to the sacred, and the heart is more important than the head.

Maria too responded to the story of Pharienbon. She thought about the women in her own congregation and in Transylvania where ‘women were the beating heart of the congregations.’ In commenting that it was difficult to juggle the roles of Martha and Mary, she drew attention to the sharp difference between the two presentations.

There was almost no mention of any domestic situation in Qiyamah’s talk (just one line from Yvonne Seon’s story – ‘I entered Howard University’s divinity school as a single parent supporting three offspring.’) As to women

in ministry in Transylvania, it was only after communism collapsed in 1989 that training of women ministers got underway. ‘Thirty years is not a long time,’ observed Maria. ‘We need a longer time for perspective.’

Ann homed in on the timeline. ‘By the time of Pharienbon’s death we (in England) had already seen our first women minister go through the official training and recognition with a successful ministry in the Midlands.’

She observed that one third of the current 132 ministers on the British General Assembly role are women, though women often outnumber men at national conferences and gatherings. Ann cited Growing Together, the Feminist Theology Report (1984) and Hymns for Living, our degendered hymnal (1985) as ground-breaking. The Rev Winnie Gordon was our first woman of colour to be admitted in 2013 to the Roll of Ministers and there are now others of ethnic minority heritage in the UK. * * * * This was an enriching Webinar. These stories of women’s ministry and devotion deserve, as Ann concluded, ‘to be told and become a significant part of our wider picture.’ They are brave stories, of lives of dedication and some sacrifice. ‘You have to forge your own ministry,’ commented Maria, reflecting on Transylvania but with wider application. ‘I think we did quite a good job.’ What an understatement!

Celia Midgley The Rev Celia Midgley is a retired Unitarian minister and writer.

View the webinar here: http://tinyurl.com/UandUwomen

www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 7

Sing the song in your heart There have been times in all our lives when we have felt lost and lonely, out in the wilderness – alone – when we have sought solace in all kinds of places. I know I have. I may not have been physically alone; I may have been surrounded by people, and yet still felt like I was lost in the wilderness, so lost and alone.

I was talking with a friend about this recently, someone with similar feelings. A little later I shared with them a little clip from YouTube from the Walt Disney film ‘The Jungle Book’ – the song ‘The Bare Necessities’. Do you remember it? Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife.

‘The Jungle Book’ is a wonderful example of what Joseph Campbell called the hero’s journey.

I remember being taken to see the film as a child and was immediately enchanted. So much so that we were given an album which told the story, and included the songs.

There are many classics on it. I would listen to it constantly, whenever I went to my paternal grandparents. It brought me solace then, and continued to – even when they were not in my life. It still brings me solace today, especially ‘The Bare Necessities’. It is my ultimate ‘redemption song’. It brings hope, when hope is hard to find, to quote another favourite hymn. It has been such a joy to share this song again recently.

Now many people have redemption songs, the songs that they carry with them, through the wilderness times of life; songs they know by heart, songs that make them feel that they belong. I wonder what yours might be.

I believe that each of us has a song in our heart, that will bring us hope when hope is hard to find. We need to find a way to learn it, sing it and share it, and thus help one another through those wilderness times, towards times of love and joy, so we can enjoy the milk and honey.

Music, whether heard, or – just as importantly – felt, brings us to life. You don’t have to physically hear these songs; you can feel the vibrations move through your body. You see, all of us have the music in us. We just have to bring it to life. The songs, the music, help us to understand ourselves and our relationships – whether calming us, exciting us, entertaining us, explaining us, teaching us, inspiring us, grounding us, or sheltering us. Finding our song can help us know who we are – heart and soul. It could be a hymn of praise, or a romantic love song, some bubble-gum pop, a Disney classic, or a protest song to inspire us. The song is your song, it’s the one that touched your heart and soul; it is the one that still touches your heart and soul.

It is redemption songs, though, that I am thinking of, the ones that comfort us during wilderness times.

I noticed that a biopic of Bob Marley, ‘One Love’, was released on Valentine’s Day. He is, perhaps, best known for his hit ‘Redemption Song’. My favourite band, whom

FROM FROM NOTHING NOTHING TO TO EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

By

By Danny Danny Crosby Crosby

I have loved since I was a teenager, have just released a new album: ‘Unbroken’ by New Model Army. One of my ultimate redemption songs is ‘Poison Street’ by them. It has come to my heart at significant moments in my life.

So many songs have become redemption songs for me.

Another would be ‘Don’t bang the drum’, by The Waterboys. I recently heard a wonderful performance of Tracey Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’, another lovely redemption song.

A friend was sharing with me recently that she and her sadly deceased brother used to listen to this when they were young, driving in his car. It’s a song she carries when hope is hard to find. Another I often share with friends when they are finding life somewhat difficult is ‘All Will Be Well’, a folk song by Unitarian Universalist minister Meg Barnhouse, based on words by Julian of Norwich. ‘All will be well, all will be well, all manner of things – they will be well’. A song offering hope in the very real struggles of life.

Now, of course, hymns, singing them together – whether classic ones or newer ones – can bring solace, can bring hope when hope is hard to find. One that has become much loved by many in the congregations I serve is ‘Come sing a song with me’ or ‘Rose in the Winter Time’. It is chosen more than any other for rites of passage, whether child blessings, weddings or funerals – particularly funerals, it seems. It has taken over from ‘Spirit of Life’ as a favourite. I wonder what your favourite hymn is – again something to think about.

Songs sing to our hearts and souls; they help us feel that we belong. We have songs sung to us from early in our lives. It is impossible not to feel joy when singing happy birthday to a child or someone dear to your heart. I love to sing ‘Happy Birthday to You’. We connect through simple songs, just as we did as babies and little children, this continues throughout our lives, certainly I know I do. These songs of our heart help us feel that we belong and that we are loved and can carry us through the wilderness, can bring us hope, when hope is hard to find.

What are your songs? What is that you sing that makes you feel you belong? The songs that bring solace when we feel a little lost in the wilds of life are our redemption songs. Mine is definitely ‘The Bare Necessities’.

Let’s journey on singing our song, the songs that bring us hope, when hope is hard to find.

Sue Woolley asks why the persecuted become persecutors

Look back in despair, forward in hope On Holocaust Memorial day we marked 79 years since the Russians liberated Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp, and saw for themselves the horrors of the Final Solution. It was not long before the world knew about it too. Some years ago, my husband and I celebrated our Silver Wedding anniversary by spending a few days in Berlin, capital city of the reunited Germany. While we were there, we visited the newly opened Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

It was inexpressibly moving. Above and more than 69,000 people have ground is the Field of Stelae, a been wounded. Each one a unique collection of unevenly sized blocks human being, with the possibilities of black concrete, with pathways of their life cut short. Even the “Reading out the names in-between. Below ground is the United States, long an ally to Israel, and biographies of all information centre, with informais pushing for the so-called ‘twotion on the victims, the places of state solution’, in which both Israel the Holocaust victims extermination and today’s memorial and Palestine are sovereign states. sites.

In January, the US Secretary of takes six years, seven I found the Room of Names the State, Anthony Blinken, said the months and 27 days.” most moving, and the most chilling. region faced two paths, the first of It is empty, except for a few unwhich would see, ‘Israel integrated, der-lit plaques on the floor. But in with security assurances and comit, the names and short biographies mitments from regional countries of Jews across Europe who were and as well from the United States, murdered or presumed dead are read out. At the same and a Palestinian state – at least a pathway to get to that time, the name, year of birth and year of death of each state.’ He argued, ‘The other path is to continue to see the victim appears on all four walls. Reading out the names terrorism, the nihilism, the destruction by Hamas, by the and biographies of all the victims takes six years, seven Houthis (in Yemen), by Hezbollah, all backed by Iran.’ months and 27 days. It brought home to me, in a very visI am well aware that views about this conflict differ wideceral way, the sheer scale of the Holocaust. ly across the Unitarian community. Perhaps precisely because of the complexities of the situation, where both Situation is far from simple sides are simultaneously partly justified (in their beliefs, I still believe we should remember; but it is difficult. In this but not in their actions) through past experience, yet so appalling conflict, unlike during World War II, the right is wrong in the methods they’ve employed to fight for those not all on one side. As we have seen in two recent Inquirrights; where it is possible to understand the reasons beer articles, written by the Revs Cliff Reed and Margaret hind the continuing violence, even when we don’t condone Kirk, the situation today is very far from simple. Perhaps, them. in speaking about the Holy Land, it never was, and it goes As Cliff Reed said in his article in The Inquirer on 11 Noback thousands of years. vember, and Margaret Kirk in hers on 20 January, the The current violence has been going on for over 140 days, persecution of Jews by Christians is a 2000-year-old and more than 29,000 people have lost their lives in the problem. Since the death of Christ, and the supposed Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, admission of responsibility for it by the Jewish people, as Continued on page 10 > www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 9

Forward in hope Continued from page 9 >

recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’, Jews as a people have been ostracised and vilified by Christians all over the world. The Nazis were by no means the first. In 12th-century England, for example, waves of anti-Jewish hatred swept the country. The Jews had settled in England at the time of the Norman Conquest, and for nearly a century they had been allowed to live in their quarters in relative peace, under the king’s protection. AL Poole explains what happened next in his volume of The Oxford History of England: ‘In the course of time, however, this attitude of toleration was changed to one of antipathy. The ostentation which possession of great wealth enabled the Jews to display, and their unconcealed contempt for the practices of Christianity, made them an object of universal dislike; as usurers.’ In the years 1189 and 1190, all the major Jewish settlements in England were attacked, with scenes of massacre, burning and plundering. The climax came in March 1190, when some 150 Jews, who had taken refuge in Clifford’s Tower in York, were either massacred or died at their own hands.

Why, then , inflict pain on others?

However, what I struggle to understand is this: why, having been the victims of persecution for so many centuries, do the Israelis not understand that what they are doing to the people of Gaza is exactly the same? Surely they should be horrified at the idea of inflicting such pain on others?

And yet…

Part of the Statement of Commitment on the website of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust reads, ‘We recognise that humanity is still scarred by the belief that race, religion, disability or sexuality make some people’s lives worth less than others. Genocide, antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination continue. We have a shared responsibility to fight these evils. We pledge to strengthen our efforts to promote education and research about the Holocaust and other genocide. We will do our utmost to make sure that the lessons of such events are fully learnt.

We will continue to encourage Holocaust remembrance by holding an annual UK Holocaust Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism.

We value a free, tolerant, and democratic society.’

That, I can get behind. The current situation in Gaza is symptomatic of a far larger breakdown – too many political organisations the world over still seem to believe that ‘some people’s lives [are] worth less than others.’ You only have to open the newspaper, watch the news, to see this in action, every day, all over the place. Sadly, intolerance and its consequent violence are far more widespread than in Gaza alone.

We need to understand that one of the major reasons Page 10 | Issue 8078 – 2 March 2024

for religious intolerance and religious strife (or at least for intolerance and strife in the name of religion) is fear of the unknown. The vast majority of people know very little about other religions, and it is part of human nature to fear the unknown (or the different). Anyone who is perceived to be ‘Different to Us’, therefore cannot be trusted, and is therefore feared. Whatever happened to tolerance? To compassion for the other?

Politicians foment fear Ignorance breeds intolerance, which in turn breeds fear and hatred, which can easily turn into all-out strife. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous politicians who sit at particular points on the religious/political divide, see it as their job in life to foment intolerance and fear, so that they can whip ‘their’ people up to commit acts of aggression and violence in the name of religion or communism or the right for a homeland – whatever! The links between states and religions are very strong; the dividing line between tribalism and nationalism is a thin one. There are no simple solutions.

And it is not only the Jews who have been persecuted and vilified. The Palestinians, non-white people of all complexions, indigenous peoples, people of other faiths, the LGBTQ+ community – all have been persecuted for being ‘different’. It is up to us to Stand on the Side of Love, as the Unitarian Universalists urge, and take positive actions to end all discrimination and hatred, on whatever grounds. We need to help people to see past their entrenched differences to their common humanity – so they are able to let go of the poisons of the past. Because all discrimination and hatred is dangerous and evil. It all leads to violence and death. It is all a senseless waste of human lives and energy, when there are so many other things we should be working towards: the eradication of poverty and inequality and discrimination, the climate-change crisis. I think the only thing we can do is to follow our consciences and to do what we can, where we are, to work towards a more compassionate, more just world, in which we can all live together, in peace.

Sue Woolley The Rev Sue Woolley is minister with the Midland Unitarian Association and is Hon. Secretary of the Unitarian Peace Fellowship.

Family fun retreat

By Gavin Howell

‘I can’t wait to high five a friar!’ (And she did…)

The Unitarian Western Union held its first retreat specifically for families from across the district in October. It was a bit of an experiment and came after many months of consultation, ponderings and explorations into what might be possible.

It was a great success. The theme was, ‘Where the wild things are: Our wildness and the wildness out there’. We played games, went on a long walk and made art. The venue was The Hilfield Friary in Dorset. Apart from its stunning location, the venue offered a unique opportunity for families to experience life as part of an intentional community in the midst of one renowned for its generous hospitality. Below, our participants offer some brief reflections on what they gained from the experience.

Hillary and Kai – Bridport Unitarians ‘Kai and I had a fabulous time at the Intergen retreat, with John (Harley) and Gav (Howell) providing excellent leadership and activities. We were there with a lovely family from Trowbridge, who were a pleasure to share time with and everyone got on well. We had so many funny moments and wise insights, it was very inspiring, thoughtprovoking and fun. Hilfield is such a beautiful peaceful place that everyone came away feeling refreshed. Kai and I are already looking forward to next year’s retreat!’

Shown above: (left) Rhoslyn got to high-five a friar. (right) Participants enjoyed walks in the woods. Photos provided by Gavin Howell

Rod, Rhoslyn, Joshua and Evangeline – Bath Unitarian Fellowship ‘It was a community-style thing. There was lots of socialising within the community, getting to know people.

The resident people there were nice. I got to high-five a Friar! The animals there were nice too. There were several cats – I went looking for them!’

‘The food was amazing. I ate mushrooms, even though I don’t usually! There was a vegan section, so everyone was included. We did lots of arts and crafts, mask-making was good.’

‘It felt only a short time we were there. It was good to have an epilogue each evening, so we could talk about the day, and wind down. It was a different pace from normal life. It felt kind of enclosed and set apart, even with its own cemetery, which was beautiful.’

All being well, we’ll be back at Hilfield later this year.

We enjoyed our time there and we’re looking forward to seeing each other again. Personally speaking, I’m curious as to how this initiative might grow. Let’s see what happens.

If, like the Western Union, you’re interested in developing youth and family ministries in your setting then get in touch. Let’s have a conversation and play with possibilities.

Gavin Howell is the Unitarian General Assembly Youth Coordinator. Reach him on: ghowell@unitarian.org.uk www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 11

MC Burns looks at reactions to the likely closure of the Inter Faith Network

Losing a voice

Shown above: Inter Faith Network members gathered before Remembrance at the Cenotaph in November with GA President Vince McCully (centre).

Unitarians, Quakers and other faith bodies have expressed disappointment that the Inter Faith Network of Britain will likely be forced to close, following a withdrawal of government funding.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced recently that he plans to withdraw a promised £155,000 earmarked for the Inter Faith Network (IFN).

Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced recently that he plans to withdraw a promised £155,000 earmarked for the Inter Faith Network (IFN), which will likely result in its closure.

Elizabeth Slade, chief officer of the Unitarian General Assembly (GA) said membership in the IFN has been beneficial to Unitarians, ‘It’s thanks to the Inter Faith Network that small denominations like ours can be engaged in national-level faith discourse, and I’ve been glad to receive invitations to take part in roundtables and inquiries that may never have reached us if it wasn’t for our membership of the Inter Faith Network.

‘Central government funding will always be vulnerable, but it seems that the manner in which the IFN’s funding has come to an end has not been as transparent and orderly as I would expect; it’s hard to know what political currents and lobbying might be informing the decision behind the scenes. There will be a gap left by the IFN that will be essential to fill.’

The IFN was founded 37 years ago to, ‘advance public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities in Britain including an awareness both of their distinctive features and their common ground and to promote good relations between people of different faiths in this country.’

Gove wrote to the IFN on 19 January saying: ‘It has come to my attention that a member of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has been appointed as a trustee of the Inter Faith Network. Successive governments have had a longstanding policy of non-engagement with the MCB. The appointment of an MCB trustee to the board of the Inter Faith Network – a government-funded organisation

– poses a reputational risk to government. I am therefore minded to withdraw the provisional offer of £155,000 of new funding for 2023-24.’

The Muslim Council of Britain is a member body of the IFN. The IFN board of trustees affirmed that Hassan Joudi, the trustee to whom Gove referred, is a valued colleague and has not sought Joudi’s resignation. The IFN said in a letter to Gove, ‘Due diligence checks are made when Trustees are elected or appointed. However, a link to an IFN member body could not disqualify an individual from serving.’

Derek McAuley, chair of the British chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom, wrote to Gove in support of the IFN. McCauley, who is former chief officer of the GA said, in part, ‘The Inter Faith Network has played a significant role in promoting good community relations and ensured that the UK has been a world leader in inter-religious dialogue …

‘I was a trustee of the Inter Faith Network from May 2013 to September 2014 and saw how the work of a small but committed group of staff and volunteers made a huge impact. We would request that this decision be rescinded and that, at the very least, the agreed funding is released to enable dialogue to take place with the Trustees of the charity about any concerns you have.’

Judith Baker, ecumenical and interfaith officer at Quakers in Britain, said: ‘We are saddened and angry that the Government, which has itself emphasised the importance of solid inter faith relations, has not honoured its commitment to a funding grant.’

MC Burns is editor of The Inquirer. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 12