They Won All the Battles But We Had All the Good Songs

The line from Tom Lehrer song about the war against Franco, ” They Won All the Battles But We Had All the Good Songs,” came to mind today as I was sent the URL of another video of the vigil posted online.

I guess that means I have some sense of humor left.

The link is to the online version of KPIX’s story which includes fleeting comments by redozdachs and me.

And, while I’m thinking about it, here’s the minister’s statement about the election.


November 5, 2008

On November 4 we staked our claim as a people of liberal faith. We called, campaigned, prayed, protested, spoke out, donated, married couples around the clock and finally voted – all to change the world! It is with both pride and humility that I proclaim that the change has begun!

We have reaffirmed that the democratic process, the foundation of our national governance and the hallmark of Unitarian Universalism, as we have once again helped to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice. And we did so by being ourselves, living our religion, and taking our faith out of the church and into a wider world filled with both problems and possibilities.

Now the great citizens of these United States have voted for change at a time when the alternative would have been dreadful, if not fatal.

We have so much for which to be joyful!

Yet for so many of us, one dark cloud still hovers over the California landscape. While the world budged a bit, we were unable to move our state out of the past and into a new beginning.

Rev. Greg Stewart and spouse Stillman Stewart after being legally married November 2, 2008

Here in California the world stayed stuck in ways that have devastated me and so many others: with the passing of Proposition 8 we have been notified that our love is not as real as those of the voting majority.

This is frustrating beyond measure, and the words for this day come with no little difficulty.

It is OK to be angry, sad, burning mad or simply resigned after our difficult and challenging work has seemingly produced inadequate results.

But it is not OK to be hopeless!

Unitarian Universalism has consistently brought the world hope when hope is hard to find. The only way to find it is to let go of hate.

In the midst of your own despair, your church and its ministers are here for you. We’ll keep you informed about opportunities for us to gather to as one family to heal each other’s wounds and so that we, in turn, can minister to others who may not have the blessing of a faith community.

Together we can access strength that is hard to come by in isolation. You may also meet with one of our ministers and we’ll help you navigate an uncertain future.

We need each other more than ever. It’s likely that the answers to our current dilemma will come from a trusted source: each other.

Indeed, our liberal religious faith has served us well this autumn. After our celebrations and mourning, let us resolve to once again serve our faith.

Rev. Greg Stewart
from the church’s website.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.