Covenant of Right Relations

Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church

As Unitarian Universalists, we are a people not of creed, but of covenant. What we hold in common is not a single theology, but a commitment to the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism. The first principle states that we “covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person”, and the fourth states that we affirm and promote “justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.” These are not just ideals for how we interact with the rest of the world, but for how we interact with each other, here in this congregation.

Theologian Martin Buber is reported to have said that human beings are “promise-making, promise-keeping, promise-breaking, promise-renewing” creatures. A written covenant of right relations helps make clear what promises we are making, how we keep them, and how we renew them when they are broken.

The most important element of all those steps is respectful communication. When people speak passionately about subjects important to them, it is possible for disagreement to become conflict, and for people to be hurt by the way in which disagreement is expressed. When practicing right relations, people can disagree without being disagreeable. This is an important part of what we commit to with this covenant.

Covenant, however, is about more than just how to handle disagreement. It is about how to live out our commitment to our principles, so that we are in all cases striving to treat each other with the utmost respect and dignity, and are practicing compassion with each other.

As members and friends, lay leaders, minister, and staff of the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, we commit to this covenant with each other. It applies to all of our relationships within the congregation. It exists to help us fulfill our mission statement, which includes the commitment “to nurture a loving, inclusive, spiritual community.” We do not always live up to our ideals, but we know we can choose to grow in a manner that promotes a religious community grounded in love and justice. In pledging to follow these guidelines, we will serve our own spiritual development, one another, our religious home, our local community, our larger faith, and our world.