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Rev. Dr. Kenneth Langer, Director of Ministry

email: minister.barreuu@gmail.com

phone: leave a message at (802) 505-9555

A Letter to the Congregation

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A Letter to the Congregation

From Rev. Ken Langer, Minister

11/12/2024

It has been a week now since the results of the national election have become known. In that time I have struggled with feelings of helplessness and shock. In the interim I have become numb and despondent and only now have found the words to design a response.

But, even now as I write this, I caution myself by the fact that, as Unitarians, we are a diverse group of people and we can and should not ever make an assumption about how each of us feels or thinks. I do not know how every person in this congregation has voted nor is it my business to know. There are those who may be elated by the election results but I suspect there are even more who are horrified. I hear and see the fear in your conversations with me. It is to you I offer these words of contemplation and hope.

I will say that the one thing we have in common is that we are Universalists. We believe in the common good and the rights of the many rather than the few. In the coming months and years, let us remember that to endure we must do so together. We are stronger when we are united as one people in faith. No matter what happens in this uncertain future we must stick to our principles of the worth and dignity of every individual and rise up for their rights in this country. We must join together and demand truth over deception, compassion over oppression, coalition over division, and blessings over blame.

We must continue to believe that love wins out over hate because love is more abundant, love is more fundamental, and love is more sustaining. When love is elevated, hate is suffocated. When love is lifted up we cannot be knocked down. It is only when we give in that we get left out.

The arc of history does lean toward justice though we may not see it. It leans toward justice because that is the direction to which our souls are aligned. It leans toward justice because that is the heart of the universe. And though we may not see the bend we must hold fast in our belief that it is there. We need to maintain our hands upon it for it will never bend without all of us–together.

This is a time to gather our breath and calm our souls. But, it is not a time to retreat. This is a time to come together and build up our church as a bulwark against an oncoming storm.

My Story

Before the pandemic I was a college music professor for more than twenty years but the college decided to cut all of its arts programs at once. I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a minister, studied for a Master's of Divinity degree at the Starr King School for the Ministry, and followed the guidelines for becoming a Unitarian Universalist minister. I am proud and honored that the First Parish Church of Barre has given me this chance to fulfill my dream and allow me to serve them.

Ask The Minister

Do you have a question about spirituality, the Universalist understanding of the sacred, the theology of Unitarian Universalism, or anything else about living a sacred life in a secular world? Please write me with your questions. It may become the topic of a future sermon!