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The Sacred Web: Unitarian Universalism's Seventh Principle and the Ecology of Existence

Among the seven Principles that covenant Unitarian Universalist congregations, the seventh holds a unique and expansive place: "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part." This statement is both a spiritual affirmation and a profound ecological and philosophical truth claim, serving as a foundational ethic for modern religious naturalism. To understand its depth is to explore its scientific underpinnings, its theological implications, and its urgent call to ethical living. At its core, this principle moves beyond a mere acknowledgment of nature's beauty to assert a fundamental ontology of relationship. It posits that existence is not a collection of discrete, independent objects, but a dynamic, interconnected process. Is this true that all existence is interdependent? From a scientific perspective, evidence abounds. In ecology, the concept of the food web illustrates how energy and matter flow through systems, where the loss of a single s...
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"Narcissus Becomes Me" a poem by Charles Anthony Hood

 

I thought you were good for me,

But things turned ugly.

You said some hurtful things…

And so did I.

I’ll not claim innocence…

It was both of us…

We hurt each other.

 

There was a time when…

Nothing would stop you from…

Romancing me and kissing my lips.

Now, we barely talk—

We hardly ever do anything fun anymore.

There is nothing worse than…

Dishonesty.

 

Let’s be honest with each other…

And with ourselves.

Do you still love me?

Sometimes it feels like…

The answer is no.

You’re distant.

I miss the man I first met…

 

Long ago.

I gave you my number…

In the grocery store.

I saw you there each day.

You smiled and called me…

Right away.

I was in love.

 

Love hasn’t been easy for me,

Nor for you.

I know you long for my company…

But distance…

Separates our hearts.

Our souls aren’t intertwined.

Distance doesn’t make the heart grow fonder.


In a sea of unfamiliar faces,

I look for you.

I hope to see you walking past…

Owning the sidewalk.

I do love you,

But we can only be friends,

Because we are nothing alike.

 

“I like someone who is similar to me,”

I was once told in a breakup speech.

Rejection I can handle.

It’s the lying and game playing…

I cannot abide.

Don’t tell me you love me,

Then sleep with the neighbor.

 

I am now alone,

And that is OK with me.

I like me.

I like being alone,

Inside my own head.

Narcissus, in love with himself,

Becomes me.

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