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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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"Your Determination" a poem by Charles Anthony Hood


 

You work hard and efficiently each day.

You have a goal in mind that you visualize.

Your desire for success is a fire inside you!

Each step you take, you say, “This is it!”

You know you will find the success you seek.

 

You believe you can achieve your goals!

Going for you is an explosion of ambition.

You dig in and prepare to stay—determination.

You decide whether you are successful,

And you decide not to stop until you make it!

 

Look forward to where you’ll be in ten years.

You can make anything happen if you want it!

Nobody can stop you because you are unstoppable!

Like a warrior determined to make a name in this life,

You make this life what you want it to be! 

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