At the Juncture: Ornament Communion and Human Rights Day
Margaret A. Hart
December 10, 2006
First Universalist Society of Central Square, NY

I’d like to begin with an adaptation of the invocation I gave at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Goettel Community Park last Sunday:
We have gathered here to light the Christmas tree and the Advent candles, long symbols of remembrance and of hope. We remember those who have gone before us and who have been generous to this community; may their spirits be with us now, as we remember them, and as we witness to the joy and hope which are at the heart of this season, and at the heart of this great community. We also look with great anticipation to the season ahead, and to those people who will come after us. May we all experience love, well-being, and peace in this community, and throughout the world. And may we live our lives in such a way that our children, and their children, and their children’s children will also experience peace. Amen.

Today we celebrated an ornament communion, in which we were invited to come forward and each put an ornament on the church Christmas tree. We have been celebrating in this way for several years now, and there are a variety of wonderful ornaments on the tree. Each of us has had the opportunity to contribute something unique, and the result is beautiful. It reminds me a bit of the Flower Communion which we celebrate each spring, in which people contribute different flowers to make a beautiful bouquet. it also reminds me of the life of this church community ... We all contribute gifts and talents in different ways to the life of this church, making it what it is. Some people may serve on multiple committees, and contribute a lot in very concrete ways. Other people may feel that they don’t contribute much at all. But each person has a presence which is uniquely his or hers, and the church community would not be the same without any one of you.
Today is also Human Rights Day, the anniversay of the day on which the United Nations made a Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. So, I entitled this morning’s sermon: At the Juncture: Ornament Communion and Human Rights Day. I wanted to explore the common themes of the two events, and what we could discover by being at the juncture. First I would like to share excerpts from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They are still very important today, though unfortunately they are often ignored. Somehow the United Nations has gotten a bad rap in recent years. There is however a strong connection which continues between Unitarian Universalist churches and the U.N., with many shared principles and much shared work to improve the world and protect human dignity and rights. I read:

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights... Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights goes on to outline a total of 30 Articles, which you can read later if you like.
Today, as part of UN World Human Rights Day, activists in cities around the world are holding demonstrations in front of the Sudan's embassies to "Raise the Alarm" on Darfur. The Darfur Coalition, of which the UU Service Committee is a part, has called on communities of faith to participate through the "Weekend of Prayer and Action," December 8th-10th. I took the liberty of adding our church’s name to an urgent sign-on letter to President Bush. I felt I could do this, as we have talked about the crisis in Darfur, and I know most of you are very concerned that it stop. The idea is to use this weekend to bring diverse communities of faith together in calling on the president to take immediate action to stop the genocide in Darfur. One particular objective is to raise awareness of the horrific situation women and girls face every day in Darfur. Women, and girls as young as 8 years old, are being raped and sexually assaulted by the Janjaweed on a daily basis as part of a calculated strategy of genocide. They live in constant fear of attack. Even routine tasks such as searching for firewood have become perilous for them. By signing on to the letter urging President Bush to act immediately to end these atrocities, we are joining hundreds of thousands of concerned people around the world who will be calling on their respective leaders to act for the people of Darfur.
Signing a petition, like adding an ornament to the tree or adding a flower to a boquet, is a way of stepping forward and contributing our strength and our voices to a common endeavor. There can be a great strength and beauty in numbers. And yet it takes the addition of many diverse and unique parts to make a truly effective statement. There is a certain courage required to step forward and to let one’s voice be heard.... what if others disagree with us? What if we are wrong? Although there is strength in numbers, we are also still alone, still responsible for our own actions, our own belliefs. Others may or may not agree with us; we must do what we feel is right, and have conviction in our own actions. Part of our role may be to educate and empower others, so that they will also stand up and act on their convictions. So, one of the themes of this day is courage.
Another theme common to the Ornament Communion and the anniverary of the Declaration of Human Rights is celebration. Both are occasions to be marked and celebrated. Both are times of coming together to honor something larger than ourselves. These celebrations require commitment which involves hope for a brighter future, generosity of spirit, and concrete action on the part of many individuals bearing unique and diverse gifts, to create beautiful results. Both involve dynamic, ever-changing, and never-quite-complete activity.
As I think about being at a juncture, I realize that it involves really being present in the moment... now. When we come upon an intersection with a 4-way stop, we need to stop completely and look around us, to make sure no one else is proceeding. This allows us to proceed safely, in an orderly fashion. Stopping and looking around can also provide us with an experience of great love, joy, peace, and stillness of heart and mind. That is my experience of being at a juncture. May you enjoy your own experience, as you contemplate the meaning of being at a juncture.
In closing, I invite you to reflect on the Beatitudes of Christmastide, as written by David Rhys Williams: (Celebrating Christmas, ed. Carl Seaburg, 274)
On this blessed day let us worship at the altar of joy, for to miss the joy of Christmas is to miss its holiest secret.
Let us enter into the spiritual delights which are the natural heritage
of child-like hearts.
Let us withdraw from the cold and barren world of prosaic fact if only for a season.
That we may warm ourselves by the fireside of fancy, and take
counsel of the wisdom of poetry and legend.
Blessed are they who have vision enough to behold a guiding star in the dark mystery which girdles the earth;
Blessed are they who have imagination enough to detect the music
of celestial voices in the midnight hours of life;
Blessed are they who have faith enough to contemplate a world of peace and justice in the midst of present wrongs and strife.
Blessed are they who have greatness enough to become at times
as a little child;
Blessed are they who have zest enough to take delight in simple things;
Blessed are they who have wisdom enough to know that the
kingdom of heaven is very close at hand, and that all may enter in
who have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to understand.

May we all be so blessed. Amen.