Called to Love of Neighbor
To the Star Democrat,
We share a heritage of faith in which the command to love one’s neighbor is front and center. It is to live such a life that God has called us through the ages.As noted in the Star Democrat on April 2, this past Sunday a neighborhood in Talbot County awoke to find flyers with a hate-filled message had been intentionally placed in many driveways. We’ve learned since that more than one neighborhood received similar flyers. As leaders from Talbot’s faith communities we denounce these specific acts, and we denounce all acts which single out groups by religious, ethnic, racial or other identities with the intent of fueling bigotry, division and violence.
Such acts are counter to the core messages of our respective faith traditions. Such acts are counter to common decency. Such acts are blatantly dangerous. These flyers were not merely expressing a viewpoint; they were filled with lies and intended to stir hate.
We are blessed by diversity in Talbot County and in our society at large. We are held together by a greater sense of the whole, named in many ways, which calls us to see and care for our siblings as we see and care for ourselves. We are called to act with respect for the rights and safety of all. Acts of hate speech, violence and desecration must be rejected whenever and wherever they occur for the sake of our humanity.
Rev. Sue BrowningUnitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton and Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River