by Mehmet Toroslu

The service took place in the church of the UFR (Fischerfeldstraße 16, 60311 Frankfurt am Main) and was led by the Reverend Alexander Schmahl (UFR) and Terri Michos (WUU). This was the second time that we have had a joint service with the UFR.

The bilingual service began with wonderful music, which continued through the entire service. We enjoyed piano. vocal solos, and guitar from members of both congregations. Teresa and Michael Zink led us through several hymns. The Reverend Alexander Schmahl welcomed us and emphasized the importance of unity in all things.

Daniel from UFR gave a sermon about “Being a Good Person.” He shared with us his thoughts and research about the psychological and social implications of so-called narcissists and bullies.  Daniel pointed out that the majority of humankind is striving to be good and do good. But there is a very small minority of individuals who obviously exhibit a lack of scruples and empathy for their fellow human beings. Their goal is to maximize their personal gain. These few very often determine the lives and destiny of a number of people, sometimes even an entire country. Standing up and not giving in to these narcissists and bullies requires courage, energy and determination. Appeasement is not the solution when we have to deal with these kinds of individuals.

After the service we had a delicious lunch catered by our hosts. During lunch we had a chance to meet and get to know the members of our host community on a more informal basis. We engaged in joyful conversations.

We were so pleased by the hospitality offered by our fellow Unitarians and look forward to the next joint service.