Dear Ones,

The Soul Matters theme for the month of May is Creativity. That is a word that used to scare me a lot, because I had no discernible talents that fell into my understanding of what creativity was—I was not an artist, an actor, a poet, a musician. But my definition was much too narrow.

Now, I recognize creativity as something more then artistic talent, something more akin to these words from White American journalist and author Elizabeth Gilbert: “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them. The hunt to uncover those jewels—that’s creative living. The courage to go on that hunt in the first place—that’s what separates a mundane existence from a more enchanted one.” We can all strive to live creatively, thus honoring our own gifts and becoming open to others of our companions in this life.

May you have faith that you can live creatively, seeking your inner jewels and letting them shine in the world, as you remember 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 and warm wishes, Rev. Rita