Justice: One More Step

One_Step_at_a_TimeAs we come to the end of our month focusing on the many issues surrounding justice and social justice in particular, we are certainly not coming to the end of our social justice involvement. Perhaps our worship, study, storytelling and reflecting together has helped us to think of justice differently.  Perhaps there are actions and attitudes that now come to mind when we hear the word justice that did not before. Perhaps we find ourselves pondering for ourselves:  what more?  what next?

One more step, we will take one more step,

’til there is peace for us and everyone, we’ll take one more step.

What would one more step mean for you, for me?  Is peace for everyone just too much to ask, too much to think about?  The sixth of our Unitarian Universalist principles affirms “The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.”  It IS a huge vision for the world that we live in, and yet no vision ever takes form without taking steps toward it.

One more word, we will say one more word,

’til every word is heard by everyone, we’ll say one more word.

One more prayer, we will say one more prayer,

’til every prayer is shared by everyone, we’ll say one more prayer.

One more song, we will sing one more song,

’til every song is sung by everyone, we’ll sing one more song.*

The work of justice is the work of compassion.  We see in the other ourselves, and we extend ourselves to alleviate suffering because we know what it means to suffer.  What is the next step, today, in this work with and for the other,  of alleviating suffering, this work of compassion, this work of justice?

Bob Patrick

* “One More Step,” # 168 in Singing the Living Tradition

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