The Lego and I

© 2012 Erick DuPree, DRE

Who here knows what a lego is? That’s right, they are toys to build with. Who here has some legos at home? Young at heart, (in the congregation) by show of hands, who had legos as a child? That’s a lot of legos! This is the story of Brendan and his legos. Brendan loved legos and every year for his birthday asked for and would get more legos. He must have had hundreds of legos… red and blue, yellow and green. He loved to build things with his legos, and let his imagination run wild. He liked to built houses and one day hoped to become an architect.One day, Brendan was playing with his legos in the park when a little boy came up to him and said, “Can I play with your legos?” Brendan, didn't like anyone to touch his legos! “No!!!” he said… “you might ruin them.”

The little boy was sad that Brendan was so mean. He began to cry.

Brendan felt horrible for making the little boy cry, and remembered that in church he was taught to share. “Being kind in all you do,” he remembered, and so he handed the little boy some legos. Together they could build more houses than only one.

Soon, lots of kids were coming by each taking a handful of legos from Brendan and building something unique and different. Eventualy the legos were being shared by all with everyone’s little lego house becoming part of something bigger. That afternoon adults too began to notice how all these children were working together to create something that was truly amazing, an entire community made of legos!

Brendan was so happy that everyone was working together. He realized looking at the entire lego village that the boys and girls added something unique and no two houses were alike. He also understood that had he not shared and given his legos to others, the lego village would not exist! At the end of the afternoon, it was time to go home… but instead of taking the legos with him, or even giving each house away to the child who made it, Brendan decided to leave the legos at the playground for all children to play with. To this day there are still legos at that park, each with children adding to the lego village.

Unitarian Universalists believe that we each bring something to the gathered community, each unique and special because we choose to give of ourselves. When we work together, and are generous, our dreams can be made to come true. We can go from one small idea into something amazing, just like Brendan and his legos.

Do You See What I See?

© 2012 Erick DuPree, DRE

People were talking...coming into my golden throne room, telling me a King was to be born. Some said they heard it from angels, messages in the wind. I though they were crazy! Voices in the wind, but as a good King I listened to my people. In my velvet robes and bejeweled crown, I listened. People from the east and west came before me, even the poorest shepherds from their fields. All saying the same thing, a king was to be born.

As I listened I wondered, where was this king coming from? I knew all the kings in the kingdom of David and beyond. It found it all quite humorous... “Voices in the wind.”

But soon after my throne room was cleared, and after a sumptuous feast of ham and turkey, exotic fruits and delicious wine, I retired for the evening. There, lying in my bed swathed in fur and the softest silken sheets, I saw a light. It was so bright, shining through my window. The light was bouncing off my gilded crown, creating a dazzling rainbow on my walls.

What was it this amazing light? From my window, I saw up high in the sky a star. There was no moon, and the night sky was black, except this lone star. It seemed so close to me, so close that I could touch it and yet it was so far. It mesmerized me, it hypnotized me, it bewitched me body and soul. It was as if I was drawn into its brightness, knowing it would lead me to something life changing.

But I soon went to sleep. However each night the star appeared in my window, and each night it was brighter and brighter. I asked my friends about it. I asked my people, but none of my subjects had seen the star. Even my husband thought I was crazy...”Seeing a star?” he said, “Just like the shepherds hear voices in the wind. There is no star my King!”

But there was a star! I knew it and I knew I had to follow that star. I didn’t know where it would lead, and I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered to me but that I find the source of the star. Who needed riches? Who needed gold... finery... when there was a star so bright and perfect calling me? Sure my palace was warm and safe, my treasuries full of money, my stables with fine animals, my silos with more wheat than I could ever eat.

But something about that star made the pit of my stomach stir... follow me. Follow me. Sometimes we have to make choices, I thought. Despite what others might think, despite that maybe I was crazy, I decided to give into the star’s luminous light and leave the palace, my wealth, my safety, my beloved husband and devoted subjects.

And one night I set out, alone on my camel...my best gold in my bag, following the star. The star perfectly lit one road, and soon I was joined by two of my closest friends. Also kings, and guess what... they too, saw the star!

("Do You See What I See" or King One, is a part of a larger body of revisioning the Three Wisemen compiled XMAS Eve for the Unitarian Society of Germantown by Revs. Kent Matthies and Rob Keithan and myself.)