Message from Rev. Lee - February 28, 2025 - The North Parish Church of North Andover

"Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.”

—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)

“Since what we choose is what we are...”

–William de Witt Hyde (1858–1917), #374 SLT

An illustration of a person leaning over the edge of a wooden boat, dropping small round objects into the water. Below, a large green turtle surrounded by yellow fish eagerly receives the offering. A white bird flies above, and rocky cliffs are visible in the background. The caption at the top reads, "Contribute to good causes." An illustration of a large white elephant standing in a tropical setting with palm trees. Three people in green uniforms surround the elephant; one is kneeling while holding a bucket, another stands confidently with hands on their hips, and the third is crouched while cradling a small black animal. The caption at the top reads, "Defend institutions."

Ramadan begins tonight, Friday February 28th, and lasts 30 days until March 29th. The holiday remembers the month that it is said the prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran from God, over 1,400 years ago. It might be good to remember that Muslim friends and acquaintances will be fasting from sunrise to sundown (a demanding spiritual practice in my opinion.) The greeting “Ramadan Mubarak” lets our Muslim neighbors know that we see them and wish them well during this holy month.

I’m old enough to remember when Massachusetts had so-called “Blue Laws” based on the assumption of a Christian citizenry. The blue laws were established in the 1630s to make sure folks went to church and observed the Sabbath; apparently, shopping has always been a draw away from collective religious life. 350 years later you still couldn’t shop on Sundays in this state but had to plan around it. Then in 1983 the law was changed and Sunday shopping commenced.

Today, Friday, some folks are taking a 24-hour break from using credit cards and shopping as an act of protest against some recent actions by the national government. It’s like an old-fashioned Sunday in Massachusetts! The next day, some folks from the NP Climate Action Group will be showing up at the Peabody North Shore Mall… but they’re not going to shop.

Several weeks ago in Waterville, Maine, 15 people protested what they felt was government cruelty and ineptitude by holding signs at a Tesla charging station in town. A BU professor picked up on that and organized a protest at a Tesla showroom in Boston. A filmmaker picked up on that and created a “tesla takedown” website, which as of Thursday morning had listed 60 protests at showrooms across the country. These days, just 15 people engaging in creative public action can have a surprising ripple effect.

We live now in a pluralistic, multi-faith nation where people can choose to observe Ramadan or not, to go shopping or not, to go to church or not, to protest or not. I am reminded of the words of Willam de Witte Hyde from a century ago: “…what we choose is what we are”. It seems they still apply.

I am so grateful for all of you who repeatedly choose to be part of- and to support- North Parish UU!
Rev. Lee