Minister’s Blog

Dear Ones,

Last month, I made the case in a sermon that artistic expression is a core part of the human experience, as well as spiritually necessary and a crucial resource for the long work of resisting oppression. Preparing that sermon had me reflecting on another recent experience with the arts. During my weekend off in January, my partner and I dropped off our kids with the grandparents and went to New York City for the weekend. We treated ourselves to a Broadway show called “All In,” a sort of readers’ theater production of short stories about love, starring a rotating cast of famous people. The stage was set up to look like a kind of artsy living room, and there were musicians on stage, too: playing music about love between the stories about love. It felt like we were all hanging out, reflecting on love and life, having a good laugh followed by a good cry.

But of course, we weren’t just a bunch of friends musing on the human condition together. The audience had paid a pretty penny to be there. And the people on stage were elevated above us mere mortals by virtue of their fame. So even though I was truly moved by the performance – I mean, there were tears streaming down my face for parts of this show –  it was strange to feel so touched by these artists while also feeling so separate from them. It made me yearn for something more connective, more participatory.
This experience reinforced something for me. The art that most nourishes our spirits is the art that is for us and by us. Community-based, non-commercial, and collectively created. The storytelling event keeping memories alive across generations at the senior center, the teenagers laying down truth at the poetry slam, the casual music jam at your local UU congregation. (Or should I say, the casual music jam at OUR local UU congregation!) For me, a quintessential example of truly democratic artistic spaces is the sweaty exuberance of the punk rock shows of my teens and 20s. What kinds of participatory arts are you interested in?
These are trying times. Whether we are struggling in our personal lives, battling despair upon reading each new day’s headlines, or a little of both, we need all the sources of strength and inspiration we can get. I’m doubling down on comedy these days. Where are you turning to get recharged and refreshed?

Yours in faith,
Rev. Jolie