But this Reflections post brought to mind my childhood, when the 4th of July was still a gala event for me. The highlights were crowded into Lincoln Park along the Milwaukee River, where there was some sort of parade, followed by Free Ice Cream (a tiny little cup of it, but Free!) and all the silly games adults could imagine for children to spend the day. As the youngest of six, I’m sure that I was always looked after (to the extent that I was looked after) by my siblings rather than parents.

Nice to have this come back to mind, thanks.

Now, the “One Journey, Many Paths” phrase only makes sense to me when I connect it to another phrase–”right relationship.” I believe most folk (religious or otherwise) are attempting to live in right relationship with their beliefs. However, I no longer believe that we are on different paths that represent one journey. Indeed, people of different faiths often have such disparate world views and “this world” goals–goals that are intended to keep them in right relationship with their religious beliefs–that I am concerned about the harms that might committed in defense of their respective religious beliefs.

However, the “One Journey, Many Paths” phrase makes sense to me if the journey we are talking about represents the journey toward death, the journey that begs the question, “What’s it all about?”

So if the “one” journey is about the right of individuals to find their own meaning, then I think our tagline truly reflects what we are about. However, I’d like to hear more about what others think the tagline means to them.

Also, I think we are about something more than the individual search for meaning, and I wonder if other members and friends read that something more into our new tagline.

Claire