On how to hold on to, and how to let go of, the hard parts of UU and UUCL history.
Summary:
In this sermon, Reverend Alice King introduces the concept of legacy healing, which involves addressing unresolved historical traumas to foster systemic and personal growth. She emphasizes that owning our past, including the uncomfortable truths of racism and colonization, is a necessary step toward achieving genuine transformation. By examining the flaws within Unitarian Universalist history and the broader American narrative, King argues that naming these “horrid days” allows individuals to move beyond guilt and shame. She specifically advocates for more honest land acknowledgments that recognize the reality of stolen indigenous territories as a starting point for restoration. Ultimately, the sermon serves as a call to hold history with integrity, using truthtelling as a tool to liberate the present from the burdens of the past.