Shawn Jordan

Shawn Jordan

I distinctly remember a sunny autumn morning in 2019, one of my family’s earliest visits to Beacon. That Sunday was a memorable one because a group of young members stood proudly before this congregation and shared with us their stories and connections to the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association. I listened intently to each of their insights, literally on the edge of my seat, amazed to hear these young minds boldly approach topics of social justice, the search for truth and meaning, the interdependence of life, and more.

It became apparent to me that Beacon goes beyond simply creating a space for youth to have a presence in this community. Youth are empowered here, nurtured, and fostered so that they might find their own voice, develop their own thoughts, and explore their own passions. I had been drawn to Beacon seeking a community of fellowship that could do these things for me, and as I left the service that day, I knew that this is the place that would help my family do this for my own children.

In a couple of years, our eldest son will begin OWL, for Our Whole Lives, a holistic program, beginning in first grade and continuing throughout adolescence, that provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about topics that include relationships, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others. The program values self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, justice and inclusivity, and it recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status.

I have to say, I wish I had had OWL growing up. It wasn’t until college that I realized and accepted my own homosexuality, and that was in part because I lacked a community that could help me see myself in totality. I was blind to my own wholeness. Our Whole Lives is not just a program that spans the wholeness of development. It is a program that fosters lives that are themselves whole.

A teacher once pointed out to me: wholeness and integrity are one in the same. Etymologically, the words ‘integrity’ and ‘integral’ are connected. To have integrity, one must recognize and integrate all the parts that make up our self. I am grateful to be part of a community that will help my kids do just that, guiding them towards a complete sense of self, place in this community, and purpose in this life.