Unitarians

The pond on the Eramosa River


Rainbow Chorus performed this morning at First Unitarian Congregation of Waterloo. We were warmly received. The audience showed some tearful eyes during the singing of "Let there be love," which was probably the chorus's favourite song overall from the past year.

I had my own difficulty managing emotions.

Unitarian Universalists express a unique brand of inclusiveness, a one-size-fits-all religion. I've known Wiccans, atheists, secular humanists and moderate Christians who called themselves Unitarians. In a world increasingly terrorized by religious fundamentalism, we need more churches like this. It doesn't matter what you believe, and since I believe in Nothing, I could feel at home among Unitarians.

I took the opportunity to light a candle for handlebear. I could barely contain my emotion when I addressed the congregation. My voice cracked incessantly.

Once we started singing I threw my passion into the act of managing my bodily instrument—breathing, voice support, enunciation—and lost my fear of losing control. I recalled how Cameron believed in the transcendence of singing.

A little communal ritual and spirituality is a good thing. It reminds me of the intense, drug-induced, all-night ecstasy of a circuit party: sublime and cathartic, but I couldn't do it every weekend.