Building a Beloved Community

with A Sense of Belonging

The holiday season is here. How are we experiencing it—connected? isolated ?  

For some of us the season of holiday hype only magnifies feelings of loss, aloneness, anxiety, unease. We may have grown up in a different culture or religion or experience being “other” in some way. We know that a sense of belonging is a deep need for us as mammals. We require a sense of connection—with individuals, shared experiences, social groups, even physical places —for our well-being. The word “belonging” itself contains a synonym for yearning.

Reaching out to another—who appears perhaps “other” by race, physical challenges, education, mental challenges, heritage, gender identity, economic status—creates that essential human recognition of precious shared lives, interdependence, a sense of belonging.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” 

—Maya Angelou

May our Winchester UU congregation foster the warm security of belonging for members, friends, and visitors today and throughout all the seasons. 

—Gloria Legvold, for the Racial Justice Team Planning Group.