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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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"Whether I'm Alive or Dead" a poem by Charles Anthony Hood

 


I am a poet with sharp wit.

My mind is adept at keeping…

Together all the grime and grit.

 

Compartmentalization is key.

Understanding how to keep it that way…

Does not come for free.

 

A fine, thin line I tread,

Almost falling over the edge.

Whether I’m alive or dead,

 

It depends on who’s asking the question.

Is it the invisible person on your shoulder,

Or the one at the door with a suggestion?

 

How many minutes must I waste…

Waiting for an answer that’ll never come?

I cannot rid my palate of the dust I taste.

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