Are we so fragile that our loyalty is lost when we find out that someone we have respected or idolized has made mistakes? Why is it nearly impossible for us to accept that someone we have disliked, even despised, is capable of humanity? How much of our UU First Principle (“the inherent worth and dignity of every person…”) do we really believe and practice?
The Reverend Lynnda White recently retired from her position as Associate Minister of the UU Church of Peoria, Illinois. She is a member of InterNátional Initiative for Transformative Collaboration (INITC), a council of Original Peoples, People of Color, and other Indigenous Peoples. INITC has worked with the UUA regarding colonialism and the environment.
NOTE: Because she will be referring to a difficult time in her life, Reverend Lynnda feels it is important to share that her son Chase, a Deputy United States Marshal, was killed in the line of duty on November 29, 2018.