/
RSS Feed
In this sermon, “The Sangha: The Power of Community,” we explore the Unitarian Universalist role in a world filled with shifting truths and powerful structures. Drawing on the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, who suggested that the “next Buddha” might be a sangha (a community) rather than an individual, we look at how our collective presence acts as a vital counterweight to falsehood and injustice.
In this video, you will hear:
- The Power of the Counterweight: A reflection on the current state of media, the “gospel of truth,” and why a small group—like our 168 members—is far from powerless.
- The “Seesaw” Metaphor: Understanding how those at the “top” of power structures can be worn down or moved by persistent, collective action.
- Radical Compassion in Practice: Guest speaker Linda Plummer shares real-world stories of how to affect change in everyday life—from confronting “white privilege” in a water aerobics class to navigating political divides at work with curiosity instead of judgment.
- The “Ouch” Technique: A simple, effective tool for calling out harm in a way that opens a conversation instead of closing it.
Key Quotes:
- “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
- “The next Buddha will be a Sangha… a community of practitioners… not through war or violence, but through caregiving for each other and confronting those who want to do us harm.” — Thich Nhat Hanh