2020: the year of discovery
Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley of the North Universalist Chapel Society speaks alongside Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish at a Black Lives Matter rally in Woodstock, Vermont, on June 9. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
2020 was the year that turned us into discoverers. As our struggles grew, our connections to one another were revealed and, in many cases, also reinvigorated. We learned those connections underpinned one grand, shared existence, enriched by the diversity of individual experiences. And this year, more than ever, we felt the true weight of what we shared.
Throughout 2020, how often did we hear that major events, just a couple of months apart, seemed like they had happened "years ago"? That refrain underscored how unique the year was, and how we bore the multi-layered impact of converging challenges. But we didn't bear that heavy load alone. We volunteered, we donated, we checked on our neighbors — in all things, we persisted, and we discovered. We came to see ourselves and others in a whole new light, because we found out how much our expressions of love and kindness sustain us.
Still, that virtuous resolve was tested in ways it hadn't been in decades. As the pandemic impacted the world, so did cries for justice. The killing of George Floyd and the tensions that rose up in its aftermath caused us to look deeply inward. Multiple generations of multiple races protested, with young people in particular leading inspired calls for change. The younger generations remained determined, even in the face of rife criticism — some of it in person. That discovery, that courage, we bring with us into 2021.
We also bring politics forward, knowing that this contentious election season left us much to address. As the current Congress winds to a close, it's important to note it managed to do something rare in 2020: Congress managed to compromise. That compromise led to the new relief bill, and, though it wasn't a perfect deal, it's getting economic support to many who need it, and it showed genuine collaboration can still do some good on even the grandest scale. Not long before, many might have called such a compromise impossible.
That word may describe 2020 very well. It was a year of impossible challenges, that required impossible solutions. But we persevered as a people, and discovered those answers were possible. We greet 2021 with vaccine distribution happening, with a greater awareness of race issues, and with, perhaps, a chance to see more political compromise in the future. Through such sweeping change in 2020, we're still firmly rooted in our compassion for one another, although some national issues may make us think otherwise. We're stronger than we were, and more aware of each other's needs, how we live, and how we can express the love that supports the greater good. That's a reassuring way to move into the new year.
— Gareth Henderson
