Starting 10 minutes after the morning worship service.
We opened our latest meeting with these three readings:
“First They Came,” by Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Inauguration Speech (excerpt) – 1994, Nelson Mandela
The time for the healing of the wounds has come.
The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.
The time to build is upon us.
We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.
Heritage UU Church Land Acknowledgement
Today we stand on the ancestral lands of the Hopewell, Adena, Kaskaskia, Osage, Wyandotte, Shawnee, and Myaamia Nations and others whose names are not known to us. We honor those peoples who stewarded this land for countless generations.
Many nations were removed unjustly by the U.S. government. We continue to be the beneficiaries of that removal through the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism. Today’s indigenous peoples are actively striving to maintain and revitalize their traditional ways and language.
We affirm that Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church, as part of the Unitarian Universalist Association, has joined the growing list of faith communities who wholly reject the premise of the Doctrine of Discovery, which, from the 15th century to the present, provided a legal and religious framework for sanctioning the brutal conquest and colonization of indigenous lands and people.
We are committed to taking a deep look at the ways our society has justified colonialism, domination, slavery, and the genocide of indigenous people.
If you find the call of these readings meaningful, or if you are just curious, please join us at the next Social Justice Collaborative meeting. It will be Sunday, August 3, in the Heritage Room, starting about ten minutes after the worship service. All Heritage members and friends are welcome.
For questions or suggestions, please contact Louise Lawarre or Mimi Sinclair.
Louise Lawarre – August meeting leader:
Mimi Sinclair – August agenda and communications:
Image source: https://tinyurl.com/2wz2n2cf