A voice to tell us what we need to hear

Rev. Dr. Ed Brock is a Unitarian Universalist minister. Unitarian Universalists believe in the inherent worth of each person and the interconnected web of all life. Unitarian Universalists have shaped the course of justice in America and in the world in the tradition of inspiring ministers such as Theodore Parker who said in a sermon, "The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Sunday 10 June 2007 was the last day of Rev. Dr. Ed Brock as minister of the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist congregation. At that service, seven people spoke about Ed's ministry. On Monday, I posted my remarks. In this second installment, I share with you the email that John Tucker of the Peace and Justice committee wrote to Ed. John read this at the service and has granted me permission to share it.



Dear Ed:

I appreciate what you have done to bring the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church along the path from a pastoral church to a programchurch.

I appreciate the spiritual help with which you graced me and my family.

I appreciate the support that you gave to the formation of the Peace andJustice Committee.

I appreciate the fact that you took a stand against the invasion of Iraqand the diversion of focus away from the forces that attacked us on 9/11. That was in October 2002, five months before the invasion. You warned of "…urban battle in the streets of Baghdad with thousands of civilian casualties."

I appreciate the boldness with which you denounced the use of torture and extraordinary rendition by the United States.

I appreciate that you spoke out against the erosion of liberty in thiscountry, evidenced by the illegal detention of people, the denial of theright of habeas corpus, the assault on the Constitution, and the spying on US citizens.

Some of your sermons were not appreciated by the entire congregation. Some members even called them unpatriotic. While the sermons were not nationalistic, they were the height of patriotism. There is a world of difference between nationalism and patriotism.
With the wisdom of hindsight, it is easy for us to see that you were right, but you had the foresight and moral courage to speak out at a crucial time.

I will miss you on Sundays, but I hope to hear your voice in other venues, telling us the things that we need to hear.

John Tucker, Peace and Justice Committee

To read a selection of Rev. Dr. Ed Brock's sermons, follow this link : http://www.euuc.org/ministerspage/sermons.htm