Between Us – Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All

By Rev. Clyde Grubbs, February 2, 2025

Our association of congregations articulated a set of principles that  defined our vision of right relationship in a transformed world. We did not say ‘we believe,’ rather we wrote we would affirm and promote these principles.

The principles and purposes were our ethical stance, our articulation of intention. The principles and purposes were visionary and “utopian” — without working together these principles would remain outlandish ideals. Humanity would need to come together beyond sectarian, generational, and national divisions. While we have more recently articulated our shared values as well, the principles as they were first formulated are still part of who we are as Unitarian Universalists.

Behold the 6th Principle: The Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All.

This vision has been articulated by Unitarians and Universalists for generations. But if we look out at our world, we see wars and divisions. The political leaders appear to be seeking national self-interest rather than world community.

Recently Congress passed a bipartisan law banning TikTok, an internet social media platform that promoted conversations and community. TikTok is American based but owned by a Chinese company. The U.S. law makers were concerned that young American posters on TikTok were questioning U.S. foreign policy without being censored, unlike Facebook and Twitter that have algorithms which downplay certain political material. The corporations that own Facebook and Twitter lobbied Congress to ban TikTok.

What was the result? Several million former TikTok subscribers subscribed to a different Chinese social media program called RedNote. This platform traditionally was a place for the exchange of parenting advice, recipes, news about new employment opportunities, and reviews of movies and concerts. Hundreds of thousands of new English-speaking subscribers were met by the Chinese with curiosity and sharing. On this platform computers translate subscribers speaking Mandarin to English and vice versa. In the last two weeks, thousands of Americans have begun online Mandarin courses.

The Americans are welcomed, even though the previous clientele’s internet community  was invaded and disrupted. A site where most posts were recipes and product reviews  with some travel advice previously was not deep into community building between citizens of the two most powerful nations of the world. Now real friendships are being formed, and new subscribers from both countries are coming to the site simply to be part of this new community.

World Community . . .Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All.

Perhaps community is built from the bottom up, and waiting for our leaders may well be a long wait.