This past Sunday was the chu
rch’s annual Stone Soup celebration. Being new to this community, I was excited to participate in such a unique holiday ritual (though Google tells me that many other faith communities do it, too). Everything from the crafts to the food to the music brought out the best of the winter holiday season. There was so much joy in the room, and I was thrilled to be a part of it!
The part of the evening that has really stuck with me, though, is the part of the story where all of the townspeople shut their doors and tell the visitor that they cannot offer any food because they don’t have enough. At this time in the life of our country, there are a lot of people who would have us shut our doors to hungry strangers. And they have plenty of reasons for their fear – strangers can be scary, after all. Strangers – whether from across the ocean or across the train tracks – might speak another language, worship a different way, cook with unfamiliar ingredients, or look differently from us.
But the story of Stone Soup reminds us of the kind of people that our Unitarian Universalist values call us to be. Being a Stone Soup community means that each of us gives and does what we can for the greater good. Being a Stone Soup community means that strangers have worth and dignity equal to our own. Being a Stone Soup community means that our doors are open to all who hunger for nourishment of body or spirit. May it be so, now and always.
-Hannah Villnave, Intern Minister