UUAM Board of Directors statement on the passage of Article II

Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it.

We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.

-Article II, Unitarian Universalist Association Bylaws

We are encouraged by the passage of the Interdependence value and covenant statement in Article II at this year’s Unitarian Universalist General Assembly. Its key concepts express Unitarian Universalists’ aspirations and invite Unitarian Universalists to reconsider our practices as we live into this covenant.

As such, we call upon all UU individuals, congregations, and institutions to contemplate and investigate the related issues, asking themselves the following questions in a spirit of inquiry, with dedication to discovering the ramifications of our shared commitments so aptly expressed by the statement.

With respect to animals, what are the implications of this value and covenant for:

1.        me as an individual? What might I be called to do?

For example, how and when am I dependent on nonhuman beings? How are all beings with whom I am in a relationship treated? Which ones are exploited? What would it mean to protect them from exploitation? What would it look like to create and nurture relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice?

2.        us as a congregation? What might we be called to do?

For example, which of our current congregational practices relate to animals? For example, how are animals present in or absent from the buildings and grounds, congregational food and events, themes in religious education and Sunday services? What would it mean to revere the great web of life and with humility acknowledge our place in it, while protecting all beings from exploitation? 

3.        our vision for what a better world looks like? How might we be called to build a better world, now? 

For example, how are animals present in or absent from the congregation’s mission and vision statements, the social justice and environmental organizations the congregation partners with, the organizations that benefit from congregational grants or shared plates, etc.?  

For any or all of these sets of questions, after you have reflected as an individual or in groups, create some action steps, complete with timelines. Together, we can build a better world for all beings! 

We stand ready to offer resources and advice to individuals and congregations who are pursuing a path to put these values into action. Keep your eye on the newsletter and social media for resources we produce to assist with this exploration.

-UUAM Board, September 2024