Copyright 2005 Rev. Amy B. Freedman

Our World Community: Unitarian Universalism
and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Rev. Amy B. Freedman
Channing Memorial Church
October 23, 2005

This morning, the sound of my alarm clock scattered my dreams. The clock, which is an essential part of my daily routine sits on my bedside table in my Newport home. That very same clock started out on the other side of the globe for like many other American household products, it was made in China. I turned the alarm off, rubbed my eyes, stretched and threw back my bed sheets that were made in the USA of imported Turkish fabric. Then I slipped my feet into my fuzzy "Laura Ashley" slippers, which like the clock were also made in China. I shuffled my way to the bathroom. Without any thought, I turned the faucet and fresh, clean water flowed freely from the tap for me to brush my teeth while gazing into a mirror made in Canada. Continuing my preparations for the day, I wandered downstairs. With a spoon made in Japan, I scooped coffee grown in Columbia into my French Press to brew a fresh pot. When it finished brewing, I poured some hot coffee into a German mug and topped it off with Rhody-fresh Milk from a small farm somewhere within driving distance in our small state of Rhode Island.

This simple review of the first moments of my day, reveal the many ways that my life is interconnected with people around the world and close to home. I invite you to do a similar review in your house. I was dismayed to note how many items in my home were made in China even if they were well-known American brands like "Laura Ashley". As we are well aware, many American companies have moved their factories to China and other foreign countries in order to cut expenses and raise profits. As much as growing unemployment is of concern to many Americans, the link between our consumption and supporting these companies' actions is easily overlooked. There are days when I carefully weigh the value of buying the least expensive item over purchasing something that will support the local community or a fair trade product, and there are days when I simply grab what is convenient and cheap without giving it a second thought.

Whether we take the time to recognize it or not our lives are deeply interconnected. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the energy from a distant star called the sun, and the earth are essential elements of the bond we share with every human and living being on this planet.

With the current speed of travel, communication, and business being done across borders, it is increasingly true that we are citizens of the world. Many of us have been fortunate enough to travel to other countries for work or vacation. This was a luxury reserved for the wealthy and powerful only a few generations ago.

By means of the Internet, we now have the ability to travel the world from our home or school or public library. The World Wide Web, so appropriately named is linking people around the globe in a vast network. Never before have we known so much about one another. In an instant, we receive news of occurrences in distant lands. With the click of a mouse we can discover what the weather is like on other continents. Not only can we research other cultures, we can communicate directly with people about what it is like to live in other parts of the globe. We have access to photos, maps, news, opinions, ideas and resources as well as the ability to share our activities and experiences with others. We are increasingly part of a world community.

Today we join with other congregations in a United Nations Sunday. This is the second year that we are holding such a service at Channing. However, this is a longstanding tradition in many Unitarian Universalist congregations. It is not coincidental that our Unitarian Universalist Principles closely resemble the Charter of the United Nations. The fundamental belief in the inherent goodness of each person, and the benevolent nature of the Divine, led our UU ancestors to realize "that the inequalities and injustices which afflict so much of the human race are the product of history and society, not of God or nature." Given that fact, it is our responsibility to create a world in which all people can experience the blessings of life.

We have long been active in causes that expand the rights and resources of our human family. Unitarians and Universalists were involved in the original League of Nations and monitored the creation of the United Nations. From the very beginning, our religious movement has been a part of this organization working toward global understanding, by adopting resolutions in support of their work, and with official delegates to the UN participating in the work itself.

The United Nations was created in response to the devastation of World War II. The entire world was hurting. Buildings had been reduced to rubble from bombing. Around the globe, families had buried their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers killed in battle or crossfire. Refugees had fled to find safety in a new land leaving behind all that was familiar and having to overcome the barriers of language and culture to create a whole new life. As if this was not enough, the global conscience was haunted by the revelation of the Holocaust. The sham of Work Camps had fallen exposing piles of bones, and survivors with bodies like living skeletons having endured unimaginable horrors.

In 1945, after the war had ended representatives from fifty nations gathered in San Francisco to formally establish the United Nations. The UN Charter expresses a sense of urgency in saving future generations from the tragedies known to that generation. The most fundamental principles of the United Nations is a belief "in the dignity and worth of the human person" and the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.

Not long after the consolidation of the Unitarians and Universalists, UN Ambassador, Adlai Stevenson, who was a Unitarian himself, wrote a letter to the President of our Association suggesting that every congregation have an envoy to the United Nations. There are currently well over 500 envoys and we have our own UU- United Nations Office, an active non-governmental organization that takes part in meetings and seminars at the United Nations as well as educating our congregations. If you are interested in learning more about being an envoy from our church, I welcome our conversation. In 1962 Adlai Stevenson wrote, "Let me recommend to you the appointment of envoys in UU churches . . . to promote better knowledge and understanding of the United Nations. In this disastrous and shrinking world it is no longer possible- if it ever was- for local communities to be more secure than the surrounding world. Our ultimate security therefore lies in making the world more and more into a community . . . all of you have the opportunity to share in the answer, and thus help us build a peaceful world."

Of course, Adlai Stevenson was writing before the attacks of September 11th and the bombings in the London Underground. His words carry even more weight given the ongoing threat of terrorism. "Our ultimate security therefore lies in making the world more and more into a community."

The reality is that my simple morning routine of waking up, brushing my teeth, and making coffee is a kin to paradise on earth. For me, it is a daily ritual that I do not have to think much about. That in itself is a luxury. I am fortunate to own a home here in Newport with multiple rooms. Not only does it provide shelter from the elements, it has enough space to allow me to host friends and family. I have a comfortable bed to sleep in. Except when I pay the bills, I give very little thought to my utilities. Electricity illuminates the space whenever I desire. Clean, fresh water flows freely into my home for me to bathe, cook and clean. Unlike other women in the world, it was never a question for me that I would receive an education. My gender has not been an obstacle to my career goals. Truly, I am among the world's most privileged people.

The Millennium Development Goals that Don described are a strategic plan for the world community. By the year 2015, world leaders have come up with specific and measurable ways to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to promote gender equality, to improve education, to advance health care, to ensure environmental responsibility, and to create a global partnership for development. Poverty is an act of terrorism. No person should face starvation, thirst, suffer from illness, and lack of education when we have the knowledge and resources to bring about change.

Our values as Unitarian Universalists draw us into the civic arena. These goals are not just secular or political, but profoundly religious. The work of the United Nations is an extension of our fundamental belief in the inherent goodness of each person, and the benevolent nature of the Divine.

Our coming together as a congregation, reminds us of the blessings and challenges of being a community. Today we dedicated ourselves to support and nurture Sam and his family. When we reach the year 2015, Sam will be ten years old. Hard to believe! It is highly likely that all of the UN Millennium Development Goals will not have been reached. However, the fact that more that 170 world leaders who met at the United Nations Headquarters in September agreed to take action on a range of global challenges gives me hope.

All of us have the opportunity to share in the answer. We are world citizens and all of us have the power to make the world more of a community. One of the ways that we can do this is by supporting the work of the United Nations, and encouraging our politicians to do the same. At the back of the church there is a blue sheet that outlines the work of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office. I encourage you to pick one up. Of course, they have a website, which is a doorway around the world.

Just like we dedicated ourselves to a child this morning, we must dedicate our lives to the nurture of all children. I will close with an affirmation by John Haynes Holmes, "Our task is the establishment of human fellowship, the organization of love to the creation of solidarity. We must build a community as wide as the world, as inclusive as humankind."