What is Beloved Community?
It’s our Sixth Principle.
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
That’s the Beloved Community that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of: a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In which poverty, hunger, homelessness are not tolerated by a people of conscience; in which racism, bigotry, prejudice, and all forms of discrimination have been replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of kinship. Love and trust win out over fear and hatred. Peace and justice prevail over war and military conflict.
How do we get there?
We move at the speed of trust, as someone—not me!—once said, and that means being in relationship with one another.
The work of justice is the work of being in relationship, and that begins with asking someone, “What’s your name? What do you need? How can I help?” And then coming back. Again and again and again. Even when things get hard. Even when mistakes get made. Even when we hurt each other.
To build Beloved Community is to, first, believe that Beloved Community is possible. I believe that it’s not only possible, but that we are called as Unitarian Universalists to build it. And the only way to build it is to come together.