Project Description

In the story of Jesus’s Crucifixion, Jesus is not the only guy getting crucified by the Roman government. Nope, in fact, there are two other folks on either side of him – both alleged to be criminals and thieves. One of those thieves starts to, well, realize he’s about to die in a pretty gruesome manner, turns to Jesus, and asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus replies, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

So, Jesus, who is about to die in a horribly painful manner, executed by the state, is in some of his final moments comforting a criminal, and promising this criminal, who has shown no particular indication he’s a follower of Jesus, that the criminal will be joining Jesus in heaven.

This week when I read this text in the Bible, the first thing I thought of was solidarity. Jesus is in a position of spiritual power – according to the story he was in a position to say who can and can’t live in eternal paradise.   The literal Son of God. That’s some power right there. And he chose to share that power with someone who most would consider didn’t deserve it. He chose to give comfort to someone who most would consider didn’t deserve it. He chose to be in solidarity with someone who most would consider didn’t deserve it.

As the saying goes, solidarity forever.

This has been on my mind so much this past month in our greater Unitarian Universalist denomination. We’re in a greater denominational discussion right now about power and about the impacts of structural racism and white supremacy in our association’s structures and congregations. It’s not an easy conversation for any of us, and especially for me who serves on our denomination’s governing body, the UUA Board of Trustees.

I choose to stand in solidarity with these voices at the margins who are calling us in to our shared covenant and work toward ending white supremacy. It’s a choice I have to make daily, as this is a commitment that needs daily support and daily reminders. How can I work to center their voices and experiences and help build the world and faith I dream about? How can I be in solidarity?

It’s not easy. By taking a position of public solidarity, I’ve personally faced emails and comments and discussions that have included being told things like, “I am disgusted by what you are doing.” Solidarity isn’t easy.

It isn’t meant to be easy. As Dumbledore once said in Harry Potter, we are often faced with the choice of what is right and what is easy. I’m choosing what’s right. It’s a decision each of us has to make individually, every day. Are we going to spend today being in solidarity with those at the margins? Are we going to spend today trying to share our power and privilege with those at the margins?

Because even though solidarity isn’t easy, it’s nowhere near as hard as being one of the people at the margins facing persecution and crucifixion in today’s society.