Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations together affirm and promote seven Principles. We also share a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from many sources. The seven Principles and six Sources of the Unitarian Universalist Association grew out of the grassroots of our communities, were affirmed democratically, and are part of who we are.
Reflection on the Seventh Principle
“Our seventh Principle, respect for the interdependent web of all existence, is a glorious statement. Yet we make a profound mistake when we limit it to merely an environmental idea. It is so much more. It is our response to the great dangers of both individualism and oppression. It is our solution to the seeming conflict between the individual and the group.
“Our seventh Principle may be our Unitarian Universalist way of coming to fully embrace something greater than ourselves. The interdependent web—expressed as the spirit of life, the ground of all being, the oneness of all existence, the community-forming power, the process of life, the creative force, even God—can help us develop that social understanding of ourselves that we and our culture so desperately need. It is a source of meaning to which we can dedicate our lives.”
—Rev. Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director of Shalom Community Center, Bloomington, IN (read more from Forrest in The Seven Principles in Word and Worship, ed. Ellen Brandenburg)
The Seven Principles in Word and Worship
Essays by Sarah Lammert, Emily Gage, Robert Hardies, Paige Getty, Parisa Parsa, Sean Parker Dennison and Forrest Gilmore. Plus readings and worship materials on each Principle.
