This Week in Social Action Ministry

change-the-world

The Social Action Ministry (SAM) at First Parish comes from our Unitarian Universalist faith based on the values of love, justice, community, and responsibility. We do this within the supportive environment of our broader church community and the mission of First Parish “…to act on our values to serve the larger community and create a more just and loving world.”

Last week we mentioned a new SAM thrust in political advocacy.  This is in keeping with advancing justice in this new political era where many of our UU values are under assault.  As we approach the celebration of Martin Luther King’s life next Monday, it is important to recall that he himself realized that justice for African Americans really needed to be justice for all of those in or bordering on poverty:  whether they be black, white, or other people of color.  Justice turns out to require addressing a wide range of economic issues from stimulating the creation of new jobs, providing for adequate housing, changing the tax structure to distribute some of the bounty of productivity back to the disenfranchised, and yes, even advocating for peace so that some of the funding spent on our war-fighting arsenal can be made available for these social justice needs.  A variety of organizations from our own UU Mass Action network to the Moral Revival of Rev. William Barber, to Massachusetts Peace Action, to the American Friends Service Committee and others are planning events and advocacy this year that touch on Economic Justice.  In future issues of this section of the Weekly Update, we will try to advise you of upcoming opportunities to make your voices heard in support of Economic Justice.

Don’t forget to participate in Monday’s Lexington MLK activities described elsewhere in this Weekly Update.