The Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) has fought for over 25 years against the dominant root causes of inequality. Our core work is centered on the intersection of economic inequality and our 7 UU Principles. We observe that the escalation of economic inequality over the last 30 years has created widespread insecurity and a fertile breeding ground for racism, sexism and religious/ethnic intolerance.
This current distress leads to a nostalgic yearning for an imagined time in history when things were “better.” However, current and many proposed policies result in better only for the already privileged, not for the disenfranchised. The conscience of our nation continues to be compromised and our political process exacerbates this dilemma.
What can our progressive religious community do to help heal the soul of America?
For the UUJEC, now more than ever we need to come together and organize against those elements of our society that encourage intolerance and inequality to grow. We need to continue building the foundation of an open, multicultural, multiracial and equitable society. Moving towards a kind and compassionate environment in times of stress is difficult to achieve but even more necessary to strive for. Tough times create abundant opportunities: opportunities to broaden coalitions, to listen and share with a full and open heart, and to envision and work toward a just community.