Image by Thomas Wolter from Pixabay

As I was working on my report to the Board about my April activities, and then on the slides for my portion of the congregational meeting this coming Sunday, I can see a clear reflection of the times we live in: it’s visible in the amount of justice and advocacy related activity, which has significantly increased. I’ve been spending more time at events at the Capitol, and connecting with both other UU clergy and interfaith colleagues around urgent justice issues in our community, state, and nation.

I know many of you have also increased your civic activities related to our values, and I’m so proud of you for the many ways you live out those values.

Today, I want to remind you to also make sure that you are getting enough nourishment. As I talked about in my sermon Sunday, part of that is spiritual practice–but also the basics of self-care that all humans need: rest, food, hydration, being attentive to any other needs your body has (medical or otherwise) as well as your own emotional needs.

The work ahead of us is crucial, yes…and it will be long-term work as well as some short-notice urgent work, which means we need to be sustainable about how we engage. Think of it not as a sprint, nor even as a marathon, but as a relay–one in which we need to hand off the work to each other and take time to recover.

Take turns. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Only by doing those things can we take care of our wider world.

As always, if you’re feeling stretched thin, or anxious, know that I am here and available to offer a listening ear, with or without advice, as you prefer.

 

In gratitude,

Rev. Diana