by Rev. Patty Bittner and Yemaja Jubilee, Ph.D
Without ever leaving the building, members of Unity of Bon Air in Richmond, Virginia, set sail on November 29, 2023, on a voyage to the Mediterranean Sea. With the blessing of Senior Minister, Patty Bittner (UUMS 2017), the gifted pianist and cosmic musician, Horace Cook, and the rhythmic drama, prayer, and meditation by Dr. Yemaja Jubilee, participants were magically transported through their imaginations above chaos, unrest, and wars to a place where they could SEE, BE, and SEND peace throughout the world. Through Yemaja’s creative energy, participants joined their collective consciousness and created a ripple effect of peace from the James River, to the Chesapeake Bay, to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Straits of Gibraltar, and to their financial destination at the Black and Red Seas. Their affirmations and prayers kissed the shores and sent high vibrational energetic frequencies of peace to all the world’s inhabitants, wherever they are. The original plan of floating written affirmations of peace on biodegradable paper down the James River was thwarted by the weather. As a result, participants carefully placed their written intentions in the soil of a beautiful peace lily which will remain in the church as a reminder that by focusing on “peace” they activate the power to be the vessel to carry it throughout the world. As the voyage ended, participants disembarked with attitudes of gratitude and peace in their hearts, affirming: We are visionaries! We imagine peace! Peace begins with me!
We love and affirm Unity’s Statement of Peace:
Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict; for love in the presence of hatred; for forgiveness in the presence of injury. Unity honors the many names for God, the many paths to God, the many ways to worship God; for there is only one power and one presence of God and that God loves each one of us equally. It is therefore the position of Unity Worldwide Ministries and Unity World Headquarters at Unity Village to urge all nations, their leaders, and their pursue peace, not war, for this is what honors the God of all our faith traditions. Unity stands for peace in our lifetime.”