Associate Pastor’s Letter

by Pastor Becky Kindig

Greetings, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday and New Year’s celebration whether that was a big blowout with friends and family or a nice quiet personal retreat.

But I also know that for many of us, this is a time of worry at what is going on in the world. Fires in Australia, refugees at our border, earthquakes in Puerto Rico, climate change, a possible war with Iran, and closer to home there is still hateful rhetoric around polarized sides of political issues. We look forward to the upcoming year of 2020 with both hope and concern. We hold these things in prayer and our hearts are moved to do something. But we are so small, what can we do with these big problems?

So as I have been struggling with this feeling for so many weeks now, it came to me in a conversation last week with one of the Unitarian Universalists who spoke with me after their welcome potluck. She was wondering aloud, “Why don’t we just merge? You all are so friendly and welcoming, we could do so much more together!” So we had a conversation about our theological differences, but I came to the conclusion that while we can do great things together, right now this world needs little “stations of hope” spread out all over the city, the state, the country, the world! She loved the phrase “stations of hope,” and now I can’t get it out of my head. And there is no reason that we can’t do some things together, but it would be a detriment to the community for us all to be in only one location. If we are spread out throughout the community, then more people can get connected, and feel hope, and know how to spread the love and light to others. I just keep thinking about the candles on Christmas Eve, the room is dark and the light from the one Christ candle is passed person by person and the whole sanctuary is aglow.

So as I kept thinking about this new phrase, “stations of hope”, I realized that Binghamton already has several. Not only other houses of worship like Christ Episcopal or Temple Concord or Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier, but other places as well. The Belmar makes sure everyone is welcome and fed. The YWCA partners with women to help them reach a better future.

There are countless others. And I am taking hope in that. As I look at all your faces on Sunday, as I drive to work through downtown, as I work with other people through Children of Abraham or meet new students at the University, I am strengthened for the work ahead by all the places and people that I know spread out throughout the area who are working hard in their corner of the world to make it a better place. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy, but there is strength in numbers. We just need to spread the word and be a visible beacon of light so that others who need hope will know where to find it.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Becky