According to Eratosthenes the polymath and chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria in the third century before the common era, who pretty much nailed the circumference of the Earth, the tilt of our planet on its axis, and maybe even the distance between our little globe and the sun, also calculated that it was on this day in 1184 BC that Troy was sacked and burned to the ground. He was a librarian, so who would any of us... Read more
Chester Arthur Burnett, better known to most of us as Howlin’ Wolf was born on this day in 1910. Once observer of his work said, “When I heard Howlin’ Wolf, I said, ‘This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies'” Sounds about right. Read more
In 2008 The United Nations declared the 8th day in June to be World Ocean’s Day. Considering what any glance at a picture of our globe shows, probably not a bad thing to pause and consider… Read more
ON HERDING CATS A Meditation on Unitarian Universalist Spiritual Community James Ishmael Ford 7 June 2015 Text How wonderful it is to live in harmony with all people: like stepping out of the bath, your whole body fresh and vibrant; like a morning dew, glistening on the tiniest blade of grass./ It is God’s infinite blessing, a taste of eternal life. 133 Psalm (translated by Stephen Mitchell) Last week I was shaking hands at the end of the service when... Read more
Forty-seven years ago this evening as he walked through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Senator Robert F Kennedy was assassinated. He had just won the California primary, and was likely on his way to winning the Democratic nomination for president. I was in fact a supporter of another senator, Eugene McCarthy, whom he had just defeated. I found Bobbie a bit too much an opportunist. I was much purer in those days. But, even then, as... Read more
When I do a wedding, the template I provide for the couple includes a sample of a good non-scriptural text. It was written by the remarkable Unitarian divine, Arthur Powell Davies, better known as A. Powell Davies. One of the relatively few contemporary UU clergy to warrant a substantial article at Wikipedia. The Reverend Mr Davies was born on this day in 1902, just outside of Liverpool. Raised and then ordained a Methodist, he came to Unitarianism when serving a... Read more
It was on this day in 1989 that the brief and beautiful and peaceful uprising of those students and many workers in Tiananmen Square was brutally suppressed by the “People’s Liberation” army. At least two hundred, forty people were killed, likely more. And some are still languishing in prison. Remember. Read more
“What I Did on My Summer Vacation by William Ellery Channing, Age 10” A project of the Sixth and Seventh Grade Class of the Unitarian Society of New Haven, May 2015. Read more
The incomparable Ellas Otha Bates, better known to most of us as Bo Diddley, died on this day seven years ago. A loss for us all… Read more
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