First Unitarian Church of Rochester


We Are, Therefore, We Love

We come together from a tangled, jangled world.
Strident voices, impatient people, hateful deeds
Are too much with us
And we seek the solace of this place of peace
Where we can be who we are without anxiety,
Where we can express our opinions,
And live our convictions without fear.
We are people who need to connect with other people -
Honestly, enthusiastically, joyfully.
We are people who need others
And we know they need us.
In our better moments we reach out to them,
And in our difficult moments they reach out to us.
That is the human way.
On this festival of love we celebrate the tenacity
Of our regard for one another;
Our need to be together;
Our faithfulness in matters of the heart.
We are, therefore, we love.
Cosmic bits of mass and energy
Come to life together.
We love, therefore, we are.
May we be humble before the wonder
Of what we dare to create.

Richard Gilbert
February 10, 2002

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