Dear Ones — I awoke this morning still in the undertow of last week’s trio of mass murders in Gilroy, CA; El Paso, TX; and Dayton, OH. I wish I were capable of a soothing pastoral response to these tragedies, but I am not. There is much to be said about the contributing factors to… Read More
Reflections from the President
Hearts Broken Open
Dear Ones— I write today with a heart broken open, as I grieve with our siblings of the Muslim faith throughout the world. The heinous attack that took place in Christchurch New Zealand last Friday, the 50 precious lives lost, the dozens of people wounded while at prayer—all these things feel unspeakable to us. And… Read More
A Message of Solidarity
Dear Ones — I write today in sorrow and in solidarity with all our intersex, gender-fluid, gender non-binary and transgender siblings, wherever they are. The recent article in UU World magazine, “After L, G, and B,” has caused waves of pain, and a sense that, yet again, our siblings are objects of curiosity and sites… Read More
Expanding ECO
Dear Ones: I hope that you’ve all had a blessed and restful summer break! It won’t be long before we are together again. When school was last in session, all of us were deeply affected by the testimony of one of our MASC graduates who spoke about her painful experiences as a black woman at… Read More
A Letter From Rosemary
Dear Ones— Though classes are over, it’s a busy time for us here, as we work to address the painful experiences of students of color at Starr King. I want to thank you for your messages of concern about our graduating student and the circumstances surrounding her decision not to attend commencement ceremonies last week.… Read More
Words for the Weekend
Update: Patriot Prayer rally organizers cancel SF event http://www.ktvu.com/news/276135850-story Dear Ones, As you may have heard, several rallies and counter-protests are scheduled for this weekend in the Bay Area by what we interpret to be right-wing nationalist groups and those who oppose their hateful views. These white nationalist gatherings have a history of violence, including… Read More
Now We Know
Dear Ones— If you didn’t know, now you know. This past weekend, Charlottesville Virginia was the epicenter of a massive resurgence of racism and hatred. White nationalists showed up in an attempt to “reclaim” their country from the rest of us. Three people died—one of them, Heather Heyer, killed in a shameless act of domestic… Read More
Living the Resistance
Dear Ones— We are all well aware of our dire national situation—we talk about it, and as a minister I have been preaching about it in venues all over the country. People across the political spectrum consider the election a major disruption to all that they know and have experienced. For some of us the… Read More
You Are Welcome Here
Dear Ones- Here at Starr King, we are committed to building a beloved, inclusive community; we believe we teach best by who we are. Although it requires hard work and ongoing self-examination on all our parts, we have taken actions to create a warm and welcoming environment for all our students. That is why last… Read More
Take Courage
Dear Ones— I am writing in the midst of what is shaping up to be a bittersweet time. Earlier this week, we celebrated the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most important religious warriors for human rights our world has ever known. By week’s end, we will have witnessed the inauguration of… Read More
