Free and Responsible

The fourth principle of the UUA is "the free and responsible search for truth and meaning."

This is one of those phrases that sounds wonderful to rebels like me...until we take a second look and realize that there are two adjectives describing the nature of the search for truth and meaning.

We pause and think about it for a while, and then decide we still really like this principle. In fact, we think, it will be good for us to be responsible, and not just free.

So what does it mean to be a responsible UU seeker?

Maybe one of the things it means is committing to a community of fellow seekers, submitting to the admittedly broad boundaries of UU sensibilities. Rather than frittering away, bouncing from one faith community to another, running from the inevitable disappointments of human imperfection.

Maybe it means not screaming and yelling at people whose beliefs seem infuriatingly narrowminded. And to balance that, it probably means speaking clearly and courageously about the truth as I have come to understand it.

And it means things like reading a wide variety of books, even boring ones. Maybe it even means watching Fox News every once in a while, with an open mind and a calm demeanor.

It's hard to be responsible.

But the consequences of irresponsibility are even harder to take.