March 17, 1996
Last month our church ran a Saturday morning adult education program called Infofest. This program offered participants the opportunity to attend 6 one-hour presentations on topics including Creating Your Own Memorial Service, Making Sense of Paganism, and Staying Out of Jail and Trouble. As the leader of a workshop entitled The Busy Person's Guide to Social Responsibility, I saw the hour I was allotted pass all too quickly. I finished the session feeling frustrated by all the things I never got a chance to say. And to tell the truth, after the workshop was over, I got to another place in my thinking which gave me a whole new message. If only I could do that session over, I thought to myself. But wait-- perhaps I have a sermon.
One of my points during the presentation was that busy people, especially, need to be in touch with why we want to engage in social responsibility. If we are to find or make time in our lives for projects of social concern, if we are to sustain any kind of commitment in this area, we need to know what we are about-- we need to be able to identify what we hope to gain or achieve from this effort. (For another perspective on this kind of goal-oriented behavior, I refer you to last week's sermon by Dave Weissbard!) I have given a great deal of thought to this question of what motivates social responsibility.
Theorist Thomas Price has described four different forms of social concern. At its most basic level, social responsibility is demonstrated through social service--giving direct assistance to persons in need by providing such things as food, clothing, shelter, medicine... andmoney. The question of why one would engage in such charitable behavior would be rhetorical in some societies. For an insular community living simply and close to the land, heavily dependent upon their tribe or their neighbors for survival, the answer would be related to self-preservation. That couple who lost their home in a fire; that family with nothing to eat; that man whose only camel has died, could have been me-- might, indeed, be me, in the future; therefore, I willingly offer the needy shelter from the cold, a place at my table, my extra camel, for I may not always be so fortunate.
An article in the Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics includes this example of charity practiced by a so-called "primitive" people:
Among an Islamic tribe of Morocco, which dates from pre-Muslim times, "Mutual help on a communistic basis, and with special regard forthe poor and destitute, is the ruling principle; so that, for instance, certain garden plots and fields, sometimes cultivated in common, are set apart for the lackland members of the community. And, as many of these cannot afford to buy food, supplies are regularly bought with the income derived from fines, public grants, the tax levied for the use of the communal olive-oil tanks, and other sources, and distributed in equal parts among... them. Even when a sheep or bull... is killed by a family for its own use, the fact is often proclaimed by the village crier, so that the sick and needy may come and help themselves." (379, En)
As societies become more individualistic and stratified, the manifestations of social concern become less immediate, and more impersonal and diffuse. The realm of social service may expand to include projects such as the building of schools, hospitals, or shelters; or training to enhance quality of life by helping people gain job skills, update their farming techniques, or improve sanitary conditions where they live.
Three additional forms of social concern also come into play. They are:
1) Social education, geared to promoting an understanding of the various social problems and providing a rationale for taking a specific course of action, in response;
2) Social witness, in which activists call attention to an issue by taking a formal stand, such as by picketing, marching, demonstrating, or engaging in acts of civil disobedience;
and 3) Social action, which, according to Thomas Price, "focuses on the decision-making process, where policy is developed and implemented in the institutional structures of society at every level.... [Its] aim is the purposive attempt to affect that process by...directing it toward chosen objectives." In other words, social action is participation in the formal political process and includes voting, circulating petitions, running for office, writing legislation, and lobbying persons in power.
The motivation to extend one's social concern to an unrelated stranger-- to engage in social responsibility without the "carrot" of a readily-apparent connection to one's own well-being (even to sacrifice oneself for a cause)-- can arise from a number of sources. A primary driving force is religion.
In Hinduism, almsgiving is closely tied to a belief in reincarnation, and the related classification of the population by class, or caste. The good one does in this life, it is asserted, will improve one's circumstances in the next, as one moves through the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth meant to advance one's status in theworld and culminate in bliss. It is not appropriate to give to those on the lowest rungs of the ladder, for they are not there by accident and must earn their way up; furthermore, contact with individuals beneath oneself makes a person unclean. Instead, alms are meant only for the priestly Brahmin class and for other religious ascetics who forego wealth and possessions to become more spiritually pure. Scholar A.S. Greden writes:
In India... almsgiving is inspired by a religious motive, the desire to secure personal advantages and reward in the next life. The theories and teaching of the Hindu books leave no room for the play of disinterested generosity, although many Hindus... [go beyond] their creed. And it is only among certain communities of monks, who devote a part of their time to charity and the relief of the poor, that anything approaching the western conception of almsgivingis found. There can be little doubt that here we should recognize the kindly influence of Buddhism." (388, En.)
A student of the Buddha remarked, "Before enlightenment: Chopping wood, carrying water. After enlightenment: Chopping wood, carrying water." This observation conveys an essential Buddhist teaching-- by and large, what you do in life is less important than how you do it. In keeping with this philosophy, social outreach is not explicitly mentioned in Buddha's statement of the principles of right living, known as the "Eightfold Path." However, we can readily read "duty toward others" between the lines of directives such as, "Live in a loving, nonviolent way" (right purpose), "Treat yourself well, but don't overindulge" (right conduct), and "Be alert and sensitive about life" (right effort). (World Religions curr., 315). Buddhist scripture guides charitable behavior in its enumeration of the "five right ways of giving": "to give in faith, to give carefully, to give quickly, to give firmly, and to give so as not to injure oneself or the other." Another set of injunctions enjoin the faithful to "give thoughtfully, with one's own hand, not a thing discarded (There goes Trash or Treasure!), and with the hope that the donee will come again." (En, p. 382)
Muslims must comply with much more explicit expectations. The third of the "Five Pillars" of Islam is almsgiving, or zakat, which is distributed among the Muslim community. I quote at length from Professor Frederick Denny, in his textbook on Islam: "Next in importance to worship is concern for others, both individually and as a community of Muslims. The zakat is a legal, obligatory act and considered part of one's service to God... Zakat is not to be confused with charity...Muslims are commanded to give charity often and freely, with emphasis on discretion and concern for the feelings of recipients. Zakat, however, is more like a tax payable once a year and computed as a percentage of one's various forms of wealth... The Arabic word zakat has as one of its meanings `purity'... That is, the wealth is purified for the use of its owner. If no zakat has been paid on it... then the property is considered to be illicitly held and `unclean.'" (111, Denny)
Islamic scripture categorizes the intended beneficiaries of zakat-- all, presumably, linked with the Muslim community-- as follows: `the poor and needy... those whose hearts are brought together [meaning converts to Islam who have lost their possessions because of their faith], the ransoming of slaves, debtors, in God's way [for good works, like... missionary projects]... and thetraveler.'" (112, Denny)
(It would be as though, as UU's, each of us were expected to participate in an annual denominational canvass-- instead of a canvass based in our own church. This canvass would require us to turn over a specific percentage of our wealth [to include a share of our property as well as our income], for the purpose not only of paying for our church's operating expenses and limited outreach but also providing money for such things as relief to destitute ministers, emergency aid to other UU churches or church members, and support of Unitarian congregations in Transylvania.)
Denny concludes, "As an act of worship, and a required one at that,... [zakat] is not to be regarded as a favor... the giver does for... fellow Muslims. God is the ultimate giver... The Qur'an... teaches that those who `perform theprayer, and pay the alms...' will be repaid a greater reward. The paying of zakat, is, then, partly a matter of enlightened self-interest." (Denny, 113)
The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible contain various edicts from God to care for the needy. From Deuteronomy 15: "You shall give to... [your brother] freely, and your hearts shall not be grudging when you give to him; because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor." The Talmud enjoins even the poor to give charity. But even "Greater than almsgiving...," writes Morris Joseph, [is] benevolence... which takes the form of personal services. It comprises:... feeding the poor, clothing the naked, tendingthe sick, burying the dead and comforting the mourner, ransoming captives, educating orphans, and dowering poor brides." (En, 390)
The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain, in the Christian gospels, parallel the Buddhist emphasis on manner (rather than form) of giving. Like the remaining religious traditions I have cited, they also promise a corresponding reward. From Matthew, Chapter 6: "When you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men... But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that you alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." And from Luke, Chapter 6: "As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them... If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same... But love your enemies, and do good... expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High... Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." The stories of Jesus feeding the poor, healing the sick, and befriending the outcast model Christian social concern.
We come, now, to Unitarian Universalism. In addressing the topic, "Bettering the Lot of Humanity," historian Russell Miller characterizes Universalists in a manner which would also hold true for Unitarians: "Many a Universalist pitched in with a will-- if not always a way," he writes, "to bring about the social amelioration which they conceived to be not only necessary for a better America but imposed by the religious principles theybelieved and professed." (Hope, 487) For Unitarians--who, in 1889, embraced a statement of belief affirming faith in "The Progress of Mankind, onward and upward forever"-- involvement in social issues has been consistent with a trust in human potential, both individual and collective. It has rested on a belief in our rational powers to solve problems, our ethical will to do the right things, and our inherent self-actualizing drive to change ourselves, our institutions, and human society for the better. Universalist social concern, historically, has rested on belief in a compassionate God who created women and men in the images of love and generosity-- a God who embraced all people and expected human beings to treat one another as members of one, human, family.
We UU's have a notable record of social concern and action. From our ranks have emerged five U.S. presidents-- both Adamses, Jefferson, Fillmore, and Taft, as well as presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson. In the areas of human service and social reform, we claim anti-slavery crusaders Maria Chapman, Lydia Maria Child, William Ellery Channing, and Theodore Parker; women's and human rights crusaders Lucy Stone, Judith Sargent Murray, Julia Ward Howe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony; educators Horace Mann, the father of public education, and Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, the first to establish a kindergarten; humanitarians Joseph Tuckerman, a model and catalyst for the profession of social work; Dorothea Dix, advocate on behalf of the imprisoned and the mentally ill; Samuel Howe, who established the first school for the blind; Henry Bergh, who began the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and assisted in the founding of theAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; and Clara Barton, who started The American Red Cross. We maintain an active social witness, in fairly recent years through representation at the March on Selma-- a point in time some would describe as UUism's "finest hour"-- anti-war demonstrations during the Vietnam era, escort service at abortion clinics for women exercising their freedom to choose, and the Gay Rights March on Washington a couple of years ago.
Our Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is a non-sectarian, non-profit agency for social change and social service; it works in partnership with individuals and groups in the U.S. and around the world, addressing priorities and goals established by the initiating, grassroots organizations. The Department of Social Responsibility at UU headquarters assists member congregations in theimplementation of denomination-wide social action resolutions and maintains an office in Washington, D.C. to represent the UUA before Congress. We also consult with, and support the work of, the United Nations through the UU-UN Office.
Within our own congregation, much of our social outreach is orchestrated by our Social Responsibility Task Forces. For those of you unfamiliar with this aspect of our church, these task forces are groups of five members who initiate and agree to work on a particular project, and five members who endorse the project; task forces have access to church endowment funds, by vote of the congregation at our annual meeting. Currently, the work of these groups ranges from picking up litter several times a year on our stretch of "adopted highway," supporting the day care center housed in our building, running the Allen Chapel Soup Kitchen once a month, and augmenting services to Crusader Clinic HIV/AIDS patients and their families.
(In our most recent church newsletter, I've proposed a new task force for the coming year, to address the problem of racism.)
So why do we do it? We who have a heritage of changing the world. A good number of our members became attracted to this church because of its strong record of social action; and member surveys frequently elicit a percentage of people who think we should do more in this area. Many of us say we engage in social responsibility because we want to make a difference. But do we?
It's not too likely that any one of us will appear in that distinguished list of humanitarians of which I spoke earlier, when future UU histories are written. Few of us will ever run for office, create an organization, or author a book or a law and effect a lasting, pervasive influence on the good of humanity. Let's face it; only a handful of people here will initiate our own social responsibility task forces. Most of us, at least for much of our lives, devote the majority of our time to our workplaces and our homes; and it is in these arenas that we are likely to exert the most influence. There are some among us who distinguish themselves in service to our community; we recognize these efforts through our annual Connolly Community Service Award, with its plaque hung in the church library. At the same time, many of us "do social responsibility" on the fly: "The soup kitchen coordinator is desperate for more volunteers this Saturday; I guess it's time for me to do my part." "Bernice Baldwin is circulating another petition? Sure, I'll sign it." "The AIDS walk? Why not? It will be a good family activity." We go for the short-term commitments we can squeeze into our busy schedules--projects which can give us a momentary feeling of satisfaction but which may also leave us with the discouraging sense of having contributed nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Should we even bother?
Of course-- for at the least, it is good for our souls. Not souls longing for their eventual release through reincarnation; not souls waiting for future reward in heaven; but souls centered in the search for wholeness in this life.
In his song, Peace Will Come, Tom Paxton declares, "My own life is all I can hope to control. Oh, let my life be lived to the good, good of my soul." Living to the good of our souls means being willing to face that which is unsatisfactory, lacking, even reprehensible, in ourselves,one another, and our world; and, at the same time, finding cause to honor our own integrity, celebrate the kindness and generosity of our fellow human beings, and embrace life as a gift. It is to enter the realm of social concern even as we question whether we have any answers, whether we have anything significant to contribute, whether we can indeed do any good. It is recognizing that caring, in any facet or magnitude, is worthwhile, for, if nothing else, it fuels the flame of faith and hope.
"I am only one. But still I am one. I cannot do everything. But still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."
I can't do anything for that child who called 911 when his dad was beating his mom; but I can ask Martha Logemann what the Rockford Area Family Violence Prevention Collaborative is doing. I don't know what I can do about crime; but I can vote on the prison referendum this Tuesday. I can't see how the school desegregation lawsuit is going to improve race relations in Rockford. But I can support the Beyond Racism project I just read about in the church newsletter.
"Blessed are they who reach out to touch, for their hands will be grasped in friendship. Blessed are they who care, for they shall be sustained." So may it be.
Each in our own way, let us now enter into silence.
People say, what is the sense of our small effortThey cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time.
A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that.
No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless.
There's too much work to do.
Dorothy Day
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