Church Lets Its Light Shine for Peace & Diversity
On the weekend of June 3-4, the church will be lit in ORANGE in observation of Wear Orange Weekend (wearorange.org). Along with other houses of worship, including the National Cathedral in Washington, the spiritual community of UUCB honors National Gun Violence Awareness Day and the lives of over 100,000 Americans killed or injured in the United States each year by gun violence. Every day, 120 Americans are killed and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The effects of gun violence are felt much more broadly, of course, from those who have lost loved ones to those of us whose daily lives are impacted by rising fear of mass shootings. The most vulnerable in our communities – those marginalized by race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, immigration status, poverty, etc. – are disproportionately impacted. UUCB will illumine a portion of its exterior in orange to express our deep sorrow at the epidemic of violence plaguing our nation, and to amplify our commitment to peace, love, and nonviolence.
The following weekend, June 10-11, the church will be lit in RAINBOW colors to honor the second annual Brunswick Pride Festival. UUCB has been an officially welcoming congregation (the UU designation for congregations who have done the work to prioritize the affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in all aspects of congregational and religious life) since the congregation voted unanimously in 2006, following over a decade of intentional effort. UUCB will join with other congregations in our area at a joint Pride Festival booth entitled “Queer Spirit” on Saturday, June 10th from 12-5 on the Brunswick Mall.