By Tom Hook
March 3, 2024
One of the Article II Revision’s Shared Values is:
Transformation. We adapt to the changing world.
We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically.
Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect. (article II Revisions Shared Values)
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It doesn’t matter how old we are. We all need stories to believe in. If there’s no storyline, no integrating images that define who we are, or give our lives meaning or direction, we just won’t be happy. I long for us to embrace a better story. One with the power to change our hearts and minds and even enliven our imagination.
Thomas Kuhn in his book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, introduced the term paradigm shift. Kuhn held that a paradigm shift becomes necessary when a previous paradigm becomes so full of holes and patchwork fixes that a complete overhaul is necessary. That shift in thinking, which might have felt threatening at one time in our lives, now appears as our only way forward. I believe we are at one of those critical junctures again. May we be willing to adopt A new story, a new set of beliefs and systems that could change and maybe even save humanity and our world.
The Seven Stories
- Domination (I will rule over you)
- Revolution (I will get peace by over-throwing you)
- Purification (I will get peace by expelling you)
- Isolation (I will get peace by withdrawing from this world)
- Victimization (My suffering is the most important thing about me)
- Accumulation (I will get peace by having more things)
- Reconciliation-Liberation (Partners in the Evolution of Goodness)
1. Domination (I will rule over you)
Looking back over my years, the whole introduction to history was told in terms of domination. The mighty empires that dominated sent explorers from their home countries to dominate the world. Even my religious background was deeply rooted in the domination story because we Christians believed that our religion should dominate. Theologically, my early understanding of God was that God was the ultimate, and universal dominating force. Of course, my beliefs have changed over the years, but this remains a central belief for many Christians.
I believe there is no possibility for right relationship if one powerful group protects and sustains itself over and against all others. From there, it’s just too easy to construct binaries and hierarchies of human existence. Our group is good. All of you are bad. Other members of the human family become objects and tools to be acquired, controlled, used and discarded.
Sadly, we see this story being retold repeatedly in our world today.
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