On Mother's Day, Unitarian churches emphasize values, activism

Rather than simply taking today to applaud and honor mothers, the Unitarian Universalists church returns Mother’s Day to its origins, when the holiday inspired mothers (and others) to promote social values rooted in the church—peace and community.

Sunday’s service at Second Unitarian Church in Lakeview emphasized the idea that everyone can take on the responsibility of modeling ritual and right behavior in the world.

“Sometimes it’s good to simplify those things,” said one parishioner.  “These are our values.  It’s about accountability to self and to the world.”

Mother’s Day began as a values-based day of activism, before lobbying by card makers and florists led to it to become a national holiday in 1905.  For decades before that, “Mother’s Day for Peace” was celebrated as a holiday for moms to oppose war and violence, reports Slate Magazine. 

One of its founders, suffragist and pacifist Julie Ward Howe, was a 19^th-century Unitarianwho wrote a proclamation for Mother’s Day: “We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country, to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs." (Howe is actually better known for her composing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”—you know it: glooory, glooory, hallelujah!  His truth is marching on!)

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations continues to take Mother’s Day as an opportunity for peace protests and to simply emphasize the values deep within their tradition.

At Second Unitarian, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill reminded the congregation of their role in modeling values before children in the community.

“Thanksgiving is something that’s taught and cultivated,” she said.  “Kindness and compassion are learned things.”

As shakers shh-shh-ed the rhythm of the music during the service’s anthem, Kat Wyand, a petite, 20-year-old brunette, tilted back her head and loudly sang “It takes a whole village to raise our children; it takes a whole village to raise one child.”  

“I really recognized the importance of (this song) for today and in this church, I want it to be something they can connect with in some way,” said Wyand, who goes to Columbia College and lives in the Loop.  “In my home church (in Connecticut), I was definitely brought up by a village.”

Kate Shellnutt
I’m a freelance religion reporter and blogger for the Little Things. I majored in religion and journalism as an undergrad, and I'm now completing my master's in journalism at Medill. More