Our Universalist Hearts

The story of Universalism begins with the conversion of hearts. The heart of John Murray, the heart of Moses Park, the heart of our congregation. Back in the early days universalism spread through debates of scripture and doctrine, inviting a new and yet also very old way of looking at the core teaching of Christianity -- that all were forgiven, all were saved because of the fact of Jesus’ life and death.

This was a radical teaching -- Surely not everyone… Surely not those imperfect people, those others who believe differently than me… Surely most people are too imperfect, especially in their faith, to be saved.

Yes, said the Universalists. Everyone. None of us are perfect, not in our actions, not in our faith. But each and every person must be included.

Way back when I was little, the school kids were so relentless in dividing their classmates into those who were in and those who were out; those who were cool and those who had cooties. (Probably you learned too learned at some point in your life what it is like to be on the outside looking in) I think it might have been then that my heart knew it was Universalist- that I just couldn’t feel satisfied, couldn’t feel safe even if I made it into the inner circle, knowing that other folks were left out of the circle.

By the time I was growing up UU in the 1970s and 80s, our Universalism had expanded beyond Christianity to include the wisdom of the world’s religions, but when we talked about Jesus, he was spoken of as a great ethical teacher and community organizer. And that Jesus, the Jesus of the gospels, he always seemed to be with the outsiders. He told the story of the shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. That spoke to me- I sure wanted to feel like someone would come find me if I was lost, as frankly, I get lost a lot.

This kind of universal love is hard. Whenever we talk about our first principle “The inherent worth and dignity of every person” we notice how hard it is. Seriously, I can’t even stay in the room when some politicians are on TV. Our human capacity to love is imperfect and partial- that’s just a fact of being human.

It reminds me of a song I’ve had stuck in my head - Free by Sylvan Esso:

Oh, people always ask me
What it's like to love everybody
What it's like to love everybody
They ask me
I tell them, “Don't be crazy
There's too many people around me
If I loved them all,
they'd break me, you see”

But Universalists have always believe that the divine has a capacity to love, to include that is bigger than my human capacity. The God I believe in can hold it all. And whether or not you believe in God, because today’s UUs are diverse in their beliefs, we know that we are part of something larger than ourselves- the web of life. The Spirit of Life dwells in every living thing. Moss and trees and squirrels, yes, but also slime mold and vampire bats and fungus. All of it is sacred.

Today, day long theological debates are out of style. We can barely understand the big fancy words, or the logic of the old arguments. But it is clear to me that this moment in history is a moment where our message is needed. As our culture grows more and more divisive, reinforcing divisions by party and religion and all the things. As if more, better dividing will finally make life flourish. No, our way forward, the way we help heal the world will not be theological debate but through love. Not the theological points made by that young women that so disturbed John Murray, but perhaps we can emulate her graciousness.

Think of those examples our historian Katie Replogle offered of the way Universalists in this Valley have always lived their values, taught Universalism through a bag of corn, or standing up for the oppressed. Through acts of connecting and caring, stretching ourselves to grow our hearts wider, to see the beloved, the sacred in all the nooks and crannies in our world we find new ways to embody our Universalist faith. Believing, as our ancestors did, that there is something bigger than all our divisions, which even now holds us all.

How it all Began

I wanted to share with you the story of the very beginnings of our congregation, the way it was told in the record book of the Sheshequin society (probably written by George W. Kinney). But sometimes that old language is hard to understand, so we’ve also provided a translation.

Reader:

The Universalist Society of Sheshequin, from the most reliable information to be obtained, was moulded into form about A.D. 1808. Up to that time, the scattered people of this valley, including “Old Sheshequin,” generally worshipped according to the Baptist faith, Rev. Moses Park, mainly, ministering to their spiritual necessities.

Translator:

Most people here in the valley were Baptist, and Rev. Moses Park was their minister.

Reader:

In the year previous, a Mr. Noah Murray, who had settled in the vicinity of Tioga Point, was known as disseminating the heretical doctrine of the Universal Salvation of the human race from the bondage of sin and corruption. He was scattering firebrands within the walls of Zion, and it was decided that these innovations must be no longer tolerated.

Translator:

Rev. Muray was new to town, and was preaching Universalism. The neighbors freaked out.

Reader:

For the purpose of silencing this pretender, Moses Park and Joseph Kinney were deputed to fight this Goliath and demolish his strongholds. They were thought to be well adapted to accomplish this laudable purpose: the former, possessing the Christian virtues in an eminent degree, and the latter adding a shrewdness, ingenuity and soundness in argument hard to withstand.

Translator:

The neighbors sent Moses Park and Joseph Kinney to convince Murray he was wrong. They were chosen because they were devout and smart and good at arguing

Reader:

Armed with their own well-thumbed Bible, they proceeded to the residence of Murray and made known their mission. They were very courteously and kindly received, and their challenge accepted; and for the space of about three days they fought the good fight.

Translator:

They went to Mr. and Mrs. Murray’s house. They were let in politely and for 3 days they argued about it.

Reader:

The doctrine of the Endless Suffering of the wicked, together with Baptism as a saving ordinance, were relied on by the one party as indispensable to a right understanding of the Scriptures, and a necessity of the divine government.

Translator:

Park and Kinney kept talking about how “only baptized people are saved from hell.”

Reader:

But the deeper they went into the investigation the weaker became their defense, until one after another, they saw their own strongholds demolished and the Sun of Righteousness melting the icebergs of Calvanism [sic].

Translator:

Their arguments didn’t hold up and eventually even they couldn’t believe what they were saying themselves.

Reader:

In short, they “went woolgathering and came home shorn.” They were defeated. They acknowledged it, and finally rejoiced over it.

Translator:

They realized they were wrong, and were okay with it.

Reader:

In conclusion, they agreed to adopt the doctrine of Murray, and Mr. Park was to present the sentiments to his audiences, and study their effects before making any formal declaration of the name.

Translator:

Mr. Park was afraid to tell his congregation he was a universalist now, so he kind of snuck universalism into his sermons

Reader:

His Congregation had been known to approve of the new preaching, and wonder at the improvements in spirituality and wisdom of the preacher; and one bright morning in June A.D. 1808, Mr. Park, after speaking as by inspiration, informed his hearers that, for some time past he had been uttering and believing with his whole soul, the doctrine of the Universal Salvation of the human race; the line of demarcation was drawn.

Translator:

It went okay so in June 1808 he outed himself as a Universalist, and told them “Surprise!” he had been preaching Universalism for some time.

Reader: 

A few denounced, but a large majority stood by him, and, with various changes and discouragements, have remained steadfast in the doctrine to this day.

Translator: 

Some folks left the congregation, but the rest became the Unitarian Universalist congregation we are today.