The Beloved Community is a substitute for the Christian idea of heaven, but it is broader in that it does not require a belief in the afterlife or any particular formula for salvation. But though there may not be heaven or hell awaiting us after we die, we constantly create and maintain heavens and hells in this world by our actions. How should we deal with the wrongdoing which has occurred among us? Do we follow Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek, or does that remove accountability for actions which may have done great harm?
The Rev. Edmund Robinson has been a UU minister since 1999 and has most recently served the UU Meeting House in Chatham, on Cape Cod.

Topics: Beloved Community