From Rev. Karen Gustafson: April 30, 2021

Dear ones, 

There is a large window in our upstairs bathroom that looks out into a patch of woods. Northern Minnesota is fully a month behind Central Illinois relative to the arrival of spring, and so, on this rather dreary day the view outside is all shades of brown and gray – except for the intrepid moss that grows on the north, south, east and west sides of the trees. Whereas I love the dazzling green of spring in your neck of the woods, I oddly treasure this fallow time of year when change comes more slowly and moves me to think about the nature of all things. This year especially as I move out of Covid and toward the end of my interim time with UCE, I am aware of the hidden changes that emerge out of winter. 

Clearly there is deadfall, brought down by heavy snow or angry lake winds. But in the absence of leaves, it is impossible for me to tell which of the standing trees will bloom and which will, this summer, begin their  journey back to earth. At ground level there are tiny sprouts making their way toward the light. Only a skilled botanist would be able to tell one from another and even they can’t predict which ones will survive to reveal their true identities. Late frost, hungry deer, stampeding squirrels all waiting to lay claim. 

And in the end, spring will prevail. What is lost will most likely be forgotten as the living puts on its most extravagant show.  

For me, the essence of Earth Day is to reclaim this poignant reality as it mirrors the nature of human systems. There is at once so much beauty and so much loss. Beauty and good fortune can be so seductive that the embedded presence of loss can be ignored.

At best what is lost becomes the stuff of regeneration in the form of lessons learned, mistakes corrected and wisdom claimed. At worst what is lost is human potential and the capacity for compassion and the will to work for change. 

We are all emerging from many winters – the season itself can be harsh and especially so with the additions of Covid and growing urgency to address systemic racism and white supremacy in all forms.

At UCE there is much emerging beauty: the calling of Eileen Wiviott as your Senior Minister; the formation of the Anti-Oppression Task Force; a successful canvass; the structural review of many aspects of congregational life including Life Span Religious Education; wonderful virtual All Music Sunday and so much more.  

Let us not in the presence of all of this splendor, forget the losses: those who have been left behind due to lack of access to technology; those who have not been able to engage because of illness; those who have drifted away because they have not felt welcomed or invited into connection. These tender shoots need our attention even in our grateful celebration of spring. 

As you slowly re-emerge from this time of pandemic, please think of those with whom you have been long disconnected. Today would be a good day for reaching out with a phone call or an e-mail or a personal note. Let the power of those small gestures nourish the ground of your beloved community. 

In love and gratitude, 

Karen Gustafson 

Interim Minister