Beloved Community?

[Storm]

This is a term I hear thrown around a lot, but no one ever says what it means.

What does the Beloved Community mean to you?

 

[Green Gaia]

I don't have time to answer right now, but I found an old thread that might interest you: Our Seven Principles/the Beloved Community

 

[Storm]

Thanks, sweetie, that was helpful.

 

[lilithu]

This is a term I hear thrown around a lot, but no one ever says what it means.

What does the Beloved Community mean to you?

A community where everyone strives to be in right relations with each other, and where systemic structures do not favor one group. That means no institutional racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism.... It does NOT mean that no one fights ever again or that nothing bad happens. That would be fairy land, not beloved community. But it does mean that if there is conflict, it is not escalated, but rather resolved thru peaceful means where both sides feel they are heard and respected and because all parties feel that they have a stake in the community.

For me, Beloved Community is the UU version of heaven. But not heaven as some netherworldly place. It's heaven as "God's kingdom here on earth," constantly nurtured into being. I do believe it is attainable. Seeing heaven as Beloved Community gives new meaning to "universal salvation." It no longer means that "everyone gets into heaven" but rather, it means that any version of "heaven" towards which we aspire must include everyone. No one can be excluded from Beloved Community or else it isn't.

I see UU congregations as our attempt to create little pockets of Beloved Community in a safe space, and then to spread that out into the wider world thru our social justice work.

 

[Wolfscout1]

...

For me, Beloved Community is the UU version of heaven. But not heaven as some netherworldly place. It's heaven as "God's kingdom here on earth," constantly nurtured into being. I do believe it is attainable. Seeing heaven as Beloved Community gives new meaning to "universal salvation." It no longer means that "everyone gets into heaven" but rather, it means that any version of "heaven" towards which we aspire must include everyone. No one can be excluded from Beloved Community or else it isn't.

I see UU congregations as our attempt to create little pockets of Beloved Community in a safe space, and then to spread that out into the wider world thru our social justice work.

:clap