I am a liberal. What does that mean? Nowadays I think it means I always try to look for a win-win situation.

In listening to speculation and arguments about differing political theories, I hear more frequently about how “might makes right” and “the powerful call the shots.” Until recently, I had taken it for granted that most adults are always looking for a win-win situation. In fact before listening to some current debates, I never realized that “win-win” was part of what being a liberal was. This seeking a “win-win” outcome seems to be at the center of the liberal world order in some regards, and is a criticism used by populist movements against “globalization.”

Of course rights of individuals, democratic principles, and equality, are the headliners in liberal governance, but I would hope that it also means that it makes everyone feel as if they are a participant in the discussion and the outcome. That is why it is important that there will be those standing up for the rights of those who feel like outsiders, or who have been outsiders.

As we participate in the Pride Festival this month, we stand at the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights and representation. We try to be there for those who have sometimes felt the most alienated, oppressed, or misunderstood. As a liberal religion, we never try to be literal or rigid in our approach to people or their ideas. In our hearts, I believe like most liberals, we can always find
a win-win so that whether in a majority or a minority, from whatever level of power, everyone participating will hear themselves understood, see themselves a part of the process, and a participant in the solution.