UUFSMA: “What Do We Need for a Good Life?”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Online Service

“What Do We Need for a Good Life?”

Speaker: Michael Hertz, UUFSMA Member

Sunday, October 3, 2021
10:30 am

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/414604040
Password: 294513

By Joseph Plummer

UUFSMA Board Secretary

When asked to identify the goals of a meaningful life, different people offer different statements of individual needs. UUFSMA Member Michael Hertz, Guest Speaker for this weekend’s online Sunday Service, outlines a variety of perceived needs he’s heard from others while grappling with the fundamental question, “What do we need for a good life?”

To reach a satisfying answer, he asks more difficult questions, “What is the reciprocal relationship between the individual and society? Why do crime, war, racism, and nationalism pollute life when the preservation of human life is the overriding goal? Moreover, does socialism or capitalism do a better job of achieving that result?”

Of course, there is the Declaration of Independence’s inalienable rights held to be self-evident, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Others focus on the proximity of home life, where “food, water, shelter, each other, and novelty” are fundamental. Some expand such domestic values with “energy and education” or reformulate their needs with greater abstraction as “faith, health, family, and compassion.”

What strikes Mr. Hertz is that “money and property” can be left off the list because they serve as means rather than goals. Having begun with “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and then adding such things as food, air, water, shelter, and education, he points out that, if we have such things, money becomes secondary. And two other questions become even more important. What should society do for its members? What should its members do for society?

Mr. Hertz’s talk offers an opportunity to reflect on the deeper personal satisfactions of individuals and the elimination of factors such as crime, war, and racism, which obstruct a good life. How can society do a much better job of providing a good life to all people not just a fortunate few? Toward that end, what can we do together and as individuals to create a good life?

To participate in our online Sunday Service, visit the Fellowship’s website at www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button displayed on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST.

Through grants and awards, UUFSMA donates at least fifty percent of its income to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button. Now more than ever, your support is essential.

UUFSMA has suspended in-person Sunday services. But beginning Sunday October 24, a few pre-registered members may attend in-person services at the Hotel Aldea. Contact Denise denise.uufsma@gmail.com for more info. The UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Previous online services can be found at https://www.youtube.com/.  Enter UUFSMA in the search box.

Our fellowship was born in 1987 when a small group of expatriate religious liberals came together to meet as Unitarian Universalists in San Miguel de Allende. The fellowship has been active and thriving ever since. Every UU church has it’s own flavor, and we are no exception. We are a combination of expats and visitors, each actively engaged and contributing to this wonderful Mexican community we love. Because there is a coming, going, and returning aspect, our spiritual community is extremely fluid.  There is a magic in San Miguel which draws us in and binds us together—both as members of the church and of the larger community. Our programming is led by visiting ministers, community leaders, and church members, so the variety is lively. We have opportunities to meet as UU’s each week at discussion groups, breakfasts, luncheons, and in various other ways. Depending on the season, attendance fluctuates between 40 and 140. Our primary focus is on funding social action within the surrounding community. We love good music, good discussion, good food, and having visitors. We invite you to join us any Sunday morning.

Members regularly post updates and information on this site. We also post meeting minutes and announcements there.

To join our Yahoo group site click on this link:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/UUFSMA/info

Click on “membership”and follow the directions.

Posting a notice on the Yahoo site is easy. Just go to your regular mail browser, type in the address line: uufsma@yahoogroups.com , type your message and hit send!

We encourage you to use this site to communicate with other local UUs.