Dear Friends,

I am in Pittsburgh visiting my mother, and I did not expect to write a message this week. However, Jeff and I left town Sunday just after the ceremony in Reconciliation Park for the Ride for the Mankato 38, and that event moves me to say something. In the midst of the mourning for the hanged and the wrongs of the past, in the midst of the celebration of resilience and reconciliation, Todd Finney said “If you can hear my voice, we are all relatives.” It is such a striking reminder of our interconnectedness. We do not need to be exactly like or think alike. We do not need to understand our current and future realities in the same ways. We do not need to live or worship in the same ways.

On the contrary, our differences are inevitable. And so is our relationship. We are related. What happens to one or to one group affects us all, rippling out in ways uncontrolled by intentions or ideology. If we remain open and aware, we might not only remember this but also act in ways that honor and even celebrate it. As COVID continues to link us in our most fundamental life force—taking a breath—as this holiday season draws us into proximity with family—and all the love and strife that goes with that—let us be easy within our interconnection.

Relationship, especially with those with whom we disagree, calls for creativity and compassion. Creativity and compassion deepen our human living, giving us purpose and amplifying our worth. May we all be up to this daily challenge, as you remember, today and every day, that you are loved, you are worthy, you are welcome, and you are needed. May you feel it so, and may it be so.

Blessings, Rev. Rita