Rev. Dr. Finley Campbell reflects on the complexities and contradictions of our times, urging boldness and truth in the face of personal, existential, and political challenges. He draws parallels between historical struggles against white supremacy, such as the Battle of Gettysburg, and contemporary crises, emphasizing gratitude for progress while acknowledging ongoing peril.

Dr. Campbell shares a personal reflection on his father's role as a Baptist preacher and introduces a reimagined version of the hymn "The Church Has One Foundation," blending traditional religious imagery with a broader, inclusive vision of God that embraces diverse spiritual narratives.

He discusses the concept of human will through the lens of quantum metaphysics, highlighting the interplay of chance and necessity in shaping our lives. This leads into his central theme: Thanksgiving as a symbol of multicultural synergy—a coming together of diverse cultures to create a new, unified culture.

Focusing on the 1623 Pilgrims' Thanksgiving, Dr. Campbell identifies three key cultural groups at the table: the Native American Wampanoag, the Puritans seeking religious freedom, and the capitalist traders focused on commerce. He explains that "culture" encompasses customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements, and emphasizes that multiculturalism involves the coexistence and blending of multiple cultural or ethnic groups.

He highlights the role of Squanto, a Native American who spoke English due to prior contact with Europe, as a crucial connector facilitating communication and cooperation among these groups. The meal itself symbolized unity, featuring a blend of indigenous and English foods and shared practices, such as hunting and fishing.

Dr. Campbell stresses that despite differences in religion and values—ranging from earth-centered spirituality to Calvinist Protestantism and capitalist agnosticism—these groups found synergy through shared experiences and mutual dependence.

He envisions this multicultural synergy as the foundation for a new culture that would eventually give rise to descendants who challenge later racist and white supremacist ideologies.

The importance of this perspective lies in countering narratives that portray early American history solely through the lens of white supremacy. Dr. Campbell references contemporary efforts within Unitarian Universalism, including the contested eighth principle and groups like DRUM (Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries), which emphasize the need to recognize and honor multicultural contributions without perpetuating white supremacy.

He draws a parallel to current global struggles, such as refugees at the Polish-Belarusian border, framing their quest for safety and community as a modern Thanksgiving moment, united by a divine or teleological force that transcends division.

Ultimately, Dr. Campbell calls for unwavering commitment to fighting any form of multiculturalism defined by race, which he sees as a divisive "serpent" threatening the unity symbolized by Thanksgiving. He concludes with a hopeful invocation of love as the spirit that binds diverse peoples together, urging continued dedication to justice and inclusion.

This podcast features Rev. Dr. Marie Manning, better known as Twinkle. She will talk to us about what it means to all of us to be a work in progress. But before you listen to what she has to say, here's a little more information about Twinkle.

Reverend Manning currently serves as the contract minister for the UU congregation in Waterville, Maine. Previously, she excelled at retreat leadership and workshop facilitation for many years. Now, as a semi-retired media professional, award-winning television producer, author, artist, and poet, she is founder of TV for Your Soul and the Empowering Women's Signature Series. I hope you'll want to learn even more about Reverend Manning, and you can do that by visiting her website, twinklesplace.org.

Her presentation here has been excerpted from the full UUMUAC Third Wednesday Vesper Service for November 2025, which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

During this podcast, Reverend Manning begins with a reading of Jennifer Bloom's poem, "Work in Progress." It was originally published in her 2020 book, Within My Illusions, published by Balboa Press. The poem ends with the line, "I am a work in progress, and still I am complete." But that's just the beginning of Twinkle's musings and prose as she takes off from that point and offers us an entrancing meditation and reflection on this topic.

We are sure you will enjoy this remarkable exploration of all the ways we grow and change, all of us works in progress.

This podcast consists of a talk given during our monthly online Vesper service in October 2025. full service, including a lively discussion about the topic, "Science in the Time of Trump" is available to you on YouTube. Our speaker this time is Dr. Suzanne Willis.

She is a professor emerita at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, where Dr. Willis taught physics until her retirement in 2012. Having been interested in science her entire life, Dr. Willis received her bachelor's degree in physics Mount Holyoke College. She then went on to Yale University to complete both her master's and doctoral degrees, again in physics, and in 1988, she joined the faculty at Northern Illinois University.

Dr. Willis remained there until her retirement in 2012, also serving for a time as President of the Faculty Senate and Executive Secretary of the University Council. Her main research focus was experimental, high-energy physics. Since retiring, she has expanded her interests to physics education and public science literacy.

As you are no doubt aware, the current Trump administration is clearly opposed to both science and scientific research. In this talk, Dr. Willis explains the long-term ramifications of this opposition to scientific research currently in progress. She also predicts how academic academic research will fare in the future. With that said, I hope you enjoy this very informative presentation.

What you are hearing on this podcast is an extract of a much longer program, including Q & A. You can find it on YouTube at this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ko4RgJ09E&t=819s

TRANSCRIPT

Speaker Barbara Jean Walsh

Hello. My name is Barbara Jean Walsh, and I am a Board Member of UUMUAC, the Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Unity Action Council. (For more information about UUMUAC, please visit our website at UUMUAC.org.)

Each month, it is our pleasure to offer an online vespers service featuring noted speakers who typically share their unique perspectives on liberal religion. This sermon has been extracted from one of those services. I hope it will inspire you to check out UUMUAC more closely.

Our speaker for this podcast episode is Dr. Matthew Shear, who has, in his own words, come from “Practice to Pulpit.” In this program, he is offering us his vision for a Church of the Free Spirit. That explains the “pulpit” part of his journey, but you may be surprised to learn that the “practice” part refers to his optometry practice including his post-grad work at the Baltimore Academy for Behavioral Optometry.

Dr. Shear is deeply interested in how our behavior is affected by misperception of ourselves, and the whole world. He is an engaging speaker with a gift for breaking down complex topics into wonderfully understandable segments. And, as you’ll find out, he is very good at creating acronyms to help us all remember the many segments that together comprise the Church of the Free Spirit.

Please click on FULL TRANSCRIPT to read more.