As our world seems to get more and more fractured and split, folks seem to have a harder time knowing who or what to trust. It is crucial that we figure out our benchmarks, or guide posts, for how to engage with what is right before us.

I’ve been heavily inspired by the writings of James Luther Adams. He’s a mid-20th century theologian, minister and academic from the United States who lived in Germany in the 1930s and was active in the clandestine resistance to the rise of Nazism. We often take our theologians out of context. As I write about his thoughts, keep his experience in Germany in mind.

After the breadth of Adams’ 40+ years of writing were complete, folks started pulling together bits and pieces of his thinking and came up with some pretty helpful combinations. One such is an essay on “The Five Stones.” It’s a metaphor back to David and Goliath. In the Jewish story, a teenager —  David — manages to defeat the giant named Goliath on the field of battle with a sling and five stones. It’s a violent story, but a course of action that prevented two armies from colliding. There was one death instead of thousands.

The Rev. Jude Geiger

For Adams, the five stones become a metaphor for how we can combat systems of oppression in the world. What are the five things we can do that will unbind the oppressed? In modern language — how do we end racism, transphobia, classism and misogyny? — to name a few.

What does progressive faith say about living? Essentially: 1. Revelation is not sealed — in the unfolding of the human spirit we continuously experience life in new ways and so too does our experience of truth. 2. Relationships between people ought to be free — mutuality and consent are both ethical and theological principles 3. We have an obligation to work toward creating a Beloved Community — our faith inspires us to the work of transformational community that is centered in justice and love. The prophethood of all believers has a corrective effect on systems of oppression. 4. Each child that’s born is another redeemer — we are all potential sources of good in the world and each have a role to play. Goodness happens in relationships with one another. 5. We choose hope — Our resources, both sublime and mundane, hold all the capacity we need to transform the world.

I want to offer a reflective flip to Adams’ five stones to help us as guide posts for right or ethical living. When you have questions of purpose, belief or values ask yourself: “Does this thing or view leave room for the ongoing evolution of the human spirit? Does it draw me closer into a community that is mutually supportive? Does it seek to bring more harmony and more equity in those relationships — even if the work is very difficult? Does it falsely make me forget that I have the capacity to live into this holy work? Does it remind me to live with hope?

Theology at its best, is both a faith statement and a process of reflection. Faith teaches us that we can expect to continue to be inspired, to learn from one another, and to seek out that spiritual growth. Wheresoever we freely choose to enter into communities with one another we are doing sacred work — not easy work — not convenient work, but holy work. In this we are obligated to vigilantly transform systems of oppression with acts of love and compassion.

We all have the capacity to make this happen, and everything that we need to do so already exists. There is a reason to hope in this world.

The Rev. Jude Geiger is pastor of Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists.

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/26/faith-values-the-metaphor-of-the-five-stones/