Preachers of Love

September 30th is a big day in American Universalist history.

Elhanan Winchester was born in Brookline, MA (apparently in those days Brookline was called Muddy River Village…) on this day in 1751. And, John Murray was born in Alton, Hampshire (not New Hampshire) in England on this day in 1741.

Murray is a particular favorite of mine for many reasons, but not the least of which is his delightful telling of when he was a calvinist Methodist going with a delegation to reprimand and reclaim a young woman who had fallen into the heresy of universalism. He describes in detail how she handily beat them at their debate, and when he realized this, drawing out his watch, peering closely at it recalling how he had a pressing engagement elsewhere. In closing that account he wrote how deeply he hated all universalists from that moment. Although, obviously, a seed was planted. A later story has him coming to America and when the ship is stranded off the coast and he accompanies a party to draw water, he is confronted with a farmer who claims he was told in a dream that a preacher of the good news was coming, and that he had a pulpit ready, and that Murray was the man. When Murray tried to demure he was told the wind would not allow them to depart ’till he preached. It didn’t. He did. Arguably the first universalist sermon preached on American shores…

Early in his life Winchester after a time preaching against universalism, giving himself over to an open hearted reading of the scriptures had a Damascus moment where he was convinced of universal salvation and began a lifetime of preaching this good news. A friend of many unitarians, who influenced his thinking to some degree, he was mainly known as a revival preacher (something contemporary Universalists might think about), although his book Dialogues on the Universal Restoration was one of the most important books on universalism available in his day.

Their universalism was firmly rooted in Christianity, and their experience of a loving God, and their inability to find any reconciliation between that love and the idea of eternal damnation. It makes a much better Christianity, no doubt.

Universalism would change over time, and I think the major thrust of those today who use that word see a universal current in religions pointing toward a great unity. This is closer to my universalism, which finds the great unity in the silent depths…

But, while my own universalism is of a different character than these two men, I nonetheless, honor their memory as people who saw through the chains of their inherited stories to the liberating truth those stories had at their core.

They saw the love at the heart of it all.

A deeper universalist point than any doctrine.

It is the great pointing to the knowing of love, of finding the great joy at the center of all things.

So, Murray and Winchester, two good men, whose memories should be celebrated on this day, their birthdays, which for religious liberals are more important to note than the anniversary of their deaths, as are mostly noted by the orthodox.

Pointers of the way of reconciliation.

Of healing.

Of love.

They were a great gift to this poor, hurt world.