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When we think of seeds, we often picture springtime: Those delicate sprouts emerging from the soil bring to mind happy associations of renewal, growth, and potential.
But there is much to be said of seeds in the fall and wintertime, seasons often perceived as periods of dormancy and decline. Even as fall brings a chill to the air, even as winter paints the land in stark hues, the work of preparation is underway. Trees shed their leaves and release their seeds to the ground below. Farmers harvest certain seeds and plant others, ones that require time to germinate in preparation for the growing season. Seeds’ true strength is tested in the long, still winter months.
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This issue of UU World is centered on Unitarian Universalists’ long-haul efforts that support, sustain, and renew, even—and especially—in times when the world seems bleak and overwhelming. We visit Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a tiny forest forms a foothold against biodiversity loss. We learn from congregations that have endured the ravages of climate change and offer their wisdom for a world on fire. As the Rev. Joan Javier-Duval so beautifully asks in these pages: “What if we allowed our grief to be the fertile ground for new possibilities?”
We also hear from young adults who are cultivating supportive roots of community, for themselves and for the next generation, and from a migrant family among dozens in need of safe haven who received shelter at the UUA’s headquarters in Boston. We also learn about Unitarian Universalists’ never-ending work to bolster democracy and to protect bodily autonomy.
And we look at the heart of our faith and the shared values that nurture and sustain us, as the work of revising Article II of our UUA bylaws comes to a close.
Seeds in the fall and winter remind us that even in the unlikeliest moments, vital work is being done, that progress can occur in unexpected ways, that preparation and patience are essential to growth.
This fall, I hope you find room for reflection, for gathering your intentions, and for planting the seeds of change in the space that surrounds you.