Unitarianism begins with unity. It started out as a response to the doctrine of the Trinity, a rejection of the idea that there could be three distinct faces of one God who were at the same time wholly distinct and yet wholly the same. Yet the choice of the term Unitarian is, itself, curious.
Unity implies bringing together and combining many things into one. However, Unitarians did not believe in combining several facets of God; Unitarians believed there only ever was one God, and that Jesus was wholly human. In that sense, the movement would have been more accurately called Monarian or Singularian or something like that. Perhaps Unitarian just had a nicer ring to it.
Either way, I find myself wondering if unity was the point all along. Maybe the doctrine of the Trinity was attempting to express something that can be seen in all human interactions. Maybe the idea behind this doctrine, which led to the development of the Christian movement that became Unitarianism, was all about many becoming one.
In the world, humans are always in community (common unity) with each other. In communities, we are many, but also one. Yet we are not merely aspects of one being; we are distinct individuals who seek expression, recognition, and validation. We all want our voices to be heard, we want our opinions to matter. However, it is often only in unity with many others that our individual voices can be made loud enough to be heard. So we must engage in a complex dance of compromise to bring to table what we feel is important, imperative, moral and timely, then somehow find a way to make our own perspective mesh with others’ views of the same, before we can voice these ideas to others.
Unitarian Universalists now really are many who are one. Our movement has expanded to be inclusive and welcoming to any and all who find meaning within our Principles, regardless of religious background or theological inclination. We are one in purpose, even if not belief. We are one in principle, even if not in way of being. We are one in fellowship, though we are not always one in mind. But though we might have one purpose, we often will have many ideas about how to pursue it.
One of the most fascinating experiences of UUism I have had so far was at General Assembly in 2010. There, many voices – many of them passionate and strident – worked hard during the plenary sessions to come to grips with the Mystery of being one while also being many. The use and endorsement of the democratic process in our congregations is an effort to manage that tension, and for the most part I believe it works. By discussing our individual ideas and working to align them within larger groups and frameworks, in time those ideas can grow and develop to where they help shape the vision and direction of the denomination itself. It is the basic concept behind democracy.
But it only works in a beloved community if we all remember that those voices are the precious ideas of individuals who have perspectives and beliefs that may not entirely agree with our own. It takes courage and vulnerability to lay our hopes and aspirations before others, searching for support and encouragement. This is something I have found here at Peoples, something I am grateful for every time I stand up in front of the congregation to speak some portion of my personal truth. It is something I hope we will always remember and encourage within each other: to respect each other as individuals, to accept each other in love, to work hard to create a space where each of us can be heard. Within that space, with love and caring, along with joy and commitment, we will be able to build and strengthen our unity.
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