A basic teaching in spiritual and religious systems, truth also plays a pivotal role in our social justice endeavors. Two modern developments—attachment to identity and adversarial framework of human relationship (Hobbesianism)—have done much to create barriers that make our access to truth difficult. The difficulty can be as much internal as it is external. Guidance from our spiritual systems can be instrumental in our ability to overcome these hurdles. The more we are open to truth, the higher the level of mastery over our other principles—making our spiritual journey more exhilarating.

The responsibility is both individual and collective. As an individual, I must humbly accept that my access to truth will always be incomplete, containing illusions. My job, in James Baldwin’s words, is to burn away those illusions. Truth may even be unsettling and provocative. My sincerity of endeavor helps me—internally and externally—step beyond all of that to reach a state of human harmony.

With an open discussion of this theme, we’ll see how the hurdles towards truth can be overcome and how we can all contribute towards a just and harmonious society. (For maximum collective benefit from the discussion, kindly pre-read the preparatory essay and bring along your questions.)

Facilitator, Judy Raymond, will guide us through our service.

Topics: Mosaic UUC, philosophy, Social Justice, Sunday Service