As we wrap up our eight-part series on hope we look at the theme of hope in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe created by George Lucas. The Star Wars audience spans all age-groups and nationalities, it captures a human story and the human struggle of good versus evil and hope versus despair. These memorable characters and their heroic actions help to ignite hope when we are having a hard time doing so.
This week we head to a galaxy far, far away…We even wrote a special introduction for the service in the Star Wars tradition of the opening crawl that appears in the beginning of every Star Wars movie. Fen is working on the social effects. Here is a preview.
Opening Crawl for New Hope Awakens:
The galaxy is in turmoil. The powers of darkness have shrouded the planet systems in hopelessness and despair. The Galactic Empire rules with with an iron hand and brutal force compelling citizens of the empire to live their lives in fear and exploitation. The Jedi are few in number dispersed across the system while the Sith influence holds sway in places of power and commerce. Yet, in this cycle of hope and despair balance can return. Even now the Rebellion is growing in numbers and this small rag-tag collection of revolutionaries, dreamers and resistance fighters are rising to the challenge, against all odds, fighting to bring freedom where it has long been lost, hoping to bring hope to a galaxy which has lost all hope.
Last week during zoom coffee hour we had our second group discussion on Jane Goodall’s “Book of Hope.” We recorded the session and if you’d like to view it the link is provided in today’s supplemental material for session seven. The service will be available at 10AM on our YouTube Channel. You’ll find the links listed below.
Have a good week-end everyone.
In Ministry,
Dave
HERE IS THE SERVICE LINK FOR THIS WEEK’S SERVICE(Please note it won’t be active until 10AM on Sunday morning)
HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK FOR SUNDAY:
David Hutchinson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: UUcoffee hour and check-inTime: Feb 27, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/89696774681?pwd=ZEZ5MTFZRkxUTS9BOHpDdFo4b01Cdz09
Meeting ID: 896 9677 4681Passcode: 579750
Virtual Offering Plate
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Session Seven Supplemental Material
The Book of Hope (part 7)”A Message of Hope from Jane”
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES
by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
So yes, we are winding down our eight-part series on “The Book of Hope,” – today is essentially our conclusion as we look at where we’ve been and what we have after seven sessions and next week in part eight we are doing something a little different, which I will tell you about at the end of today’s session.
I have found this book study a great way to get to know Jane and her work a little better. I was certainly familiar with her as an internationally known figure and her ground-breaking research with Chimpanzees in Africa, but I couldn’t have told you where in Africa she did her work or tell you anything about her personal life and story.
But now, after reading this book and watching the National Geographic documentary about her life and going through the workbook that goes along with The Book of Hope, I feel like I know and appreciate Jane and her remarkable life a little bit more.
You may have noticed that in both of the books that Douglas Abrams has co-authored in the Global Icon Series, “The Book of Joy” and now the “Book of Hope” he has adopted a conversational approach to the material. He spends time with these world renowned leaders in their natural settings and then asks them questions. The answers are spontaneous, based on their personal experience, painfully honest and often times, humorous. It’s a very approachable way to work with difficult and complex material and you feel like you get to know the people involved, or at least that’s the way I felt with Jane.
For our concluding session today Doug Abrams provides a good summary of the book and his experience with Jane during these interviews on page 189.
There are so many reasons to worry that our best days as a species are behind us. Political turmoil and the rise of demagogues threaten democracy around the world.
Inequality, injustice, and oppression still plague us. Even our planetary home is in peril. But despite it all, Jane has shown me some profound reasons for hope. In our amazing intellect, in the resilience of nature, in the energy and commitment of today’s youth. And, of course, there is the indomitable spirit. What is it about Jane that has enabled her to experience and agonize over so much cruelty and suffering of people and animals around the world, and so much destruction of nature, and yet she remains a beacon of hope?
The closing chapter is written by Jane herself, in the attic/office studio of her childhood home in Bournemouth, England. The chapter is less than ten pages long and interestingly enough it was written one year ago, as she says on a cold February day, much like we are experiencing here today. In this short chapter she shares her personal message of hope to us and the world. In this short section, Jane gives one of the best explanations I’ve heard of how and why the COVID-19 global outbreak occurred and its warning to us as we proceed into uncharted territory. And even with this crisis, she finds a way to shift the perspective, what I call “giving it the Jane treatment” and make the most out of a hope-depleting situation. The pandemic, while problematic and crisis-inducing, also led to positive developments and responses. Here is a short list of Jane’s positive observations regarding covid.
- Rise of heroic action
- Power and appreciation of community
- The importance of technology (zoom, communications) (Virtual Jane, Hopecast)
- Creation of art, media and quality journalism
On page 128 she says, “It all points to the importance of using our creativity, our clever brains, and understanding and compassion, t create a more sustainable and ethical world in which everyone can make a decent living while existing in harmony with nature.”
Earlier in the book Jane says that “Hope is a survival trait of the human species,” and I think this human response during covid is a good example of that.
So what I have today are two things: two things based on my reading of the book and the conversations we’ve had as a group. They are…
6 Reminders From The Book of Hope and 4 Tough Questions
The 6 reminders are…
1. remain positive
2. don’t give up
3. be resilient (you have to bounce back, sometimes over and over again) (example of weebles)
4. give it your best effort (there is no wasted effort)
5. don’t expect results (may not see the results in your lifetime)
6. be hopeful
4 tough questions?
1. Is hope a realistic approach?
2. How bad could it possibly get?
3. How do we counter-act the negativity?
4. Is there hope for the future?
While we may not have all the answers right now, what is clear is that whatever happens in the ensuing years, It’s going to take hard work and persistence, humor and positive energy. As Jane alluded to in her initial definition of hope. Hope and the things that we are hoping for don’t just happen, it takes effort. It takes hard work and a bold vision.
So I am not going to attempt to answer all four of these questions today, but in our zoom coffee hour at 11 we are going to use the workbook once again and also spend some time on these four questions and see where it leads and what we come up with. And of course, this is a topic we are never going to be finished with. Hope is one of the recurring themes that we will revisit over and over in the years to come as life circumstances arise. This is not a conclusion, it is starting point in our continuing journey towards hope and hopeful living.
I think this has been a good book choice, certainly it has been for me, I hope it has for you, It is a most relevant and timely book considering what is going on in our world. We all have these questions right now…So in closing, for now, Jane’s personal message of Hope found at the end of the book.
This is why I travel around the world – trying to wake people up, make them aware of the danger, yet at the same t time assure everyone there is a window ofttimes when our actions can start healing the harm that we have inflicted. Using our brains, counting on the resilience of nature. Urging everyone to take action by first describing the very real danger, but then emphasizing that we still have a window of time, that there really is reason to hope that we can succeed. (page 159)
My message of hope is this: now that you have read the conversations in this little book, you realize that we can win these battles, the there is hope for our future – for the health of the planet, our societies, and our children. But only if we all get together and join forces. And I hope, too, that you understand the urgency of taking action, of each of us doing our bit, Please believe that, against ll odds, we can win out, because if you don’t believe that, you will lose hope, sink into apathy and despair – and do nothing.
Together we CAN! Together we WILL!
Yes, we can, and we will – for we must. Let us use the gift of our lives to make this better world. For the sake of our children and theirs. For the sake of those struggling in poverty. For the sake of the lonely. And for the sake of our brothers and sisters in the natural world – the animals, the plants, the trees. Please rise to the challenge, inspire and help those around you, play your part. Find your reasons for hope and let them guide you onward. (page 233, 234)
Our closing quote is by Morgan Florsheim from a recent article in YES Magazine. The entire article is in this week’s UU Support Page. Morgan is a young environmental educator who lives in Nashville, Tennessee and she suffers from what Jane calls “eco-grief” as she struggles with the tough question of how to stay hopeful when the future looks so dire.MORGAN FLORSHEIM from YES Magazine
I have a lot of decisions ahead of me. As I consider how I want to live my life, where to dedicate my energy, I refuse to accept the idea that I must sacrifice all joy to attend to the world’s problems. I know myself to be more helpful when I have addressed my own needs: needs for good food and good company, for hope, for long afternoons in the sunshine.
I am grateful for the teachers that I have had in this movement and the people who have reminded me of all the reasons to imagine a brighter future. I know that hope is not a happy accident. Hope is a right we must protect.
Hope is a discipline…The climate crisis is ongoing. And, also, a bird is building a nest in the eaves outside my window. Come spring, there will be new birth. In shaky hands, I hold these two truths together.
Thank you for joining us for this eight part series…we have almost made it to the end. As I mentioned earlier, we are doing something a little different next week. In our conversations as a group, movies keep coming up as some of the best examples and stories of the human struggle and hope. So next week I am selecting one of my favorite movies, Star Wars and exploring the theme of hope. I will be pulling material from the entire Star Wars series as well as the latest installment, “The Book of Boba Fett.” I can hardly wait.
With that, let us end our session for today.
Peace and hope to each of you.
During our zoom coffee hour discussion we looked at the 4 Tough Questions mentioned in the supplemental material. Here is the link in case you would like to see what people had to say.
LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/1LNQZAOxjwnwGdX8EPBU3YIiUhPjNW2M6nMWsNyAGFRyr6gWz0l9i3Cr-QXZGGaB.ev7CHnbsvKbiF-KO
Joys & Concerns
When one of us is blessed we are all blessed.
When one of us experiences sorrow we all feel the pain.
After weeks of tension along the Ukraine border Russia invaded the country on Thursday. We pray for those who are caught in the conflict, we pray for their safety and for a quick cease fire.
Prayer List
For those recovering from COVID-19 in the state of Maine
Local emergency personnel and hospital staff
For our state and national leaders as they respond to the current coronavirus crisis
For those working for social justice and societal change Pray for peaceful action and democratic process in our nation
Prayers for refugees in Eastern Europe, Central America and for those along our southern border
Concerns regarding the new covid variant Omicron
Prayers for all those struggling with discouragement, the winter blues or depression this time of year.
Prayers for truckers, protesters and law enforcement involved in the stand-offs in Ottawa and other Canadian locations.
We pray for peaceful and non-violent actions.
Prayers for those in Ukraine as war breaks out
The Four Limitless Ones Prayer
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.
May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.
May we not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May we dwell in the great equanimity free from anger, aggression and exclusion.
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