We hold Love up as the embodiment of our principles and the manifestation of our beliefs, but Love is a complicated, funny thing: other languages have unique terms for its nuances while English has a single catch-all term. Even still, our understanding of Love has been developed over time from a mix of less-inclusive perspectives than we care to admit. Until we can overcome good intentions and other mentalities, our expression of Love will always be in danger of toxicity.

Jake Hearen is originally from Austin, TX but lived in the South Salish region of Washington State for most of the past 15 years because of college and the military. He answered a call for military chaplaincy during his recent assignment to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and was supported by the nearby Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation as an Aspirant for UU ministry. He now attends Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Beginning this fall he will be conducting Field Education at Community Church of New York in addition to serving as a Chaplain Candidate with an Army Reserve unit at Fort Totten, NY.

September Theme: Expectation
We’ve all heard the line: “You get what you expect.” It’s very UU. Liberal religion has always emphasized the tremendous power human beings have to shape their reality. And not just with our actions, but also with our expectations. We know that if you expect people to be good, they will likely rise to the task. If you have faith in your plans, opportunities will likely appear. And yet shaping reality and trusting reality are two very different things.

Topics: Expectation

Topics: Expectation