In these challenging times, we draw strength from the sacred truth that people of faith and conscience have been essential to every justice movement in our nation’s history. We are called to be faithful witnesses, to live our values through action and care. This has been true of Unitarian Universalism, from standing for abolition to advancing civil rights and marriage equality. This is our truth. And this is our time.

Let our history of prophetic witness guide us now, so that we may rise to meet every challenge and a commitment to building the Beloved Community. We recognize the sacred work many of you are doing—taking action, providing care and bearing witness within your communities. Though the path ahead may be uncertain, our faith calls us to move forward with clarity and courage, trusting in our shared power to shape a more just and compassionate world.

As we approach November 5th, be aware of the rising disinformation and increasing political violence. While Unitarian Universalist congregations may not be primary targets, we have a moral obligation to be in solidarity with our neighbors—particularly migrants, trans and nonbinary people, queer individuals, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. In these times, we have the opportunity to embody the highest aspirations of our faith. Together, through our care and preparedness, we can take faithful action to respond to the threats facing democracy and our communities. Our connections and shared values are boundless resources. Let us draw deeply from this well in this important moment of our history. 

Here are a few ways we can move forward together in this moment:

• Check in and Communicate: Regularly connect with your communities. Draw on lessons from the pandemic to ensure you have effective communication systems and nimble decision-making strategies for uncertain times.

• Focus on Safety and Security: Be mindful of who enters and exits your building when your community gathers. Utilize de-escalation tools and other resources to ensure the safety and security of your congregation.

• Connect with Local Leaders: Ensure you are in touch with regional UUA staff, local congregations, and organizers in your area. The leadership and experience of those accustomed to working in coalition and responding under pressure will be invaluable. Now is the time to decide whose leadership you will follow in moments of potential post-election instability.6

We at the UUA are committed to staying in close communication with you during this time. Our Side With Love and Congregational Life staff teams are gathering resources to help congregations navigate these uncertain times. Please keep an eye on your inbox, as well as our social media channels and other platforms, where we will share this information.

Throughout this election cycle, we will face many decisions about how best to uphold our values. Some situations will require bold, public action, while others may call for quieter, steadfast support for those who have been targeted by political violence. We must rely on the relationships within our congregations and communities to meet these challenges with wisdom and courage.

Thank you for everything you do in the name of love, justice, and democracy.

In faith and solidarity,

Nicole, Amanda, Amarin, Audra, Brandan, Cathy, G., Jeff, Nora, Ranwa, and Rachel

the Side With Love staff Team

Our faith calls us to proclaim that liberation is possible even as the devastation stretches beyond what any human spirit should be forced to hold. As we watch the news out of Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, the West Bank, and Israel our spirits are unimaginably stretched – especially those of us who have family and beloveds in danger on these lands. As people who commit to center love as the fundamental theological anchor of our faith, we are called to embody that commitment beyond our church walls, our nations’ flags, and even our personal pains. We are called to be beacons of true transformation, dreaming and creating pathways towards a justice that leaves nobody behind.

As people of faith, we reject the false narrative that the safety of some must come at the expense of the safety of others. It is that choice which has permitted too many atrocities in the U.S. and abroad. As our Unitarian ancestor and abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper reminds us, “We are all bound up together in one great bundle of humanity, and society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest [sic] of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul.”

The Israeli government’s project of settler colonialism is now expanding to many countries. The violence must end. The U.S. government funding for this violence must also end. The cost to our collective soul is too high. The escalation in Lebanon and Yemen, which has caused more devastation and destabilization, must stop. U.S. military aid to the Israeli government must cease. And the oppression that has long fueled this conflict must finally come to a permanent and sustained end. Sovereignty for Palestine and an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands must be realized.

We are not bystanders to the moral imperative of our time. We are each called to faithful witness on the stage of history. We will not crumble under the shadow of a troubled past but be fortified in the light of the truth – that all life is a reflection of the Divine. Let us rise in that truth.

Let us live into our sacred duty to reject any actions that violate that truth, and instead fully embrace the opportunities for a holy and wholly liberated future. May we recover our collective humanity by making a different choice than we have over decades of this compounding human rights atrocity.

We can start by first witnessing this moment and grieving the lives, homes, and futures that this violence has stolen.

We invite you to join us on Oct. 6 for “Still Here: A Unitarian Universalist Vigil for Gaza” at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT.

We can honor the commitments of our 2024 General Assembly’s Action of Immediate Witness, “Solidarity With Palestinians,” and move towards the necessary humanitarian demand of calling, yet again, for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners, and for the U.S. to stop shipments of military weapons to Israel.

Join us in taking action and renewing this commitment by calling your representative to ask that they support the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, which blocks a proposal to send $20 billion in weapons to Israel.

Tell Your Senator: Block Weapons to Israel

And finally, deepening in our knowledge and values through education and discourse so that we may align our work in healing and accountable solidarity with the many living under the remnants of settler colonialism and empire. Visit Resources for Engaging Palestine & Israel for ongoing resources and learning opportunities.

We embrace liberation as a collective process and collective responsibility. Each of us has a role in cultivating the collective thriving of which so many lives and futures, including our own, depend.

Towards collective liberation and a free Palestine, today and always, we Side With Love.

Love and courage,

The Side With Love Team

P.S. Check out UUJME’s Resources for Sunday, October 6th Worship Service for more.

Side With Love, in collaboration with the Youth and Emerging Adult team of the Lifespan Faith Engagement office and the UU College of Social Justice, joins in solidarity with Unitarian Universalist young adults and students across the globe who are protesting the ongoing assault in Gaza. These protests are a response to the moral urgency of this moment. The assault on Gaza, sponsored by the United States, has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians. We cannot turn away.We join the chorus of faith and progressive organizations calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the protection of student activists.

In the face of dehumanization, devastation, and death, human beings have always gathered to create life-affirming communities of resistance. Rooted in a strong lineage of student movements, this generation - like those protesting the Vietnam War, calling for the racial integration of their campuses, and for the end of apartheid in South Africa - are, again, asking this nation to embody its highest ideals of liberty and justice for all.

Our values call on every generation to listen with care and compassion to the prophetic witness of these courageous students and offer faithful solidarity. We, too, must rise to meet the highest aspirations of our faith, which rejects the disposability of any human being and proclaims all are worthy of love and belonging.

This generation of students has endured the trauma of COVID-19, school shootings, a climate crisis, and the brutality of U.S. police forces on their campuses and in their communities. It is time to turn around the question, “Where are the young people in our faith movement?” and instead ask, “Where are all of us, as people of faith, when our young people are showing up?” We must not turn away.

Side With Love proclaims the transformative power of love to build vibrant and liberated communities. This dangerous assault on civil liberties on college campuses and human rights – at home and globally –are connected. Too many of our justice movements (labor movement, Civil Rights, Gay liberation), have been met with sanctioned police brutality, imprisonment, and worse. We must not fail our students with our silence. We will not betray our faith with our complicity.

We call on university administrations and public officials to remove police from campuses, end the militarized response to student activism, and come to the table in good-faith negotiations with student demands. We call on our community to show up in solidarity. We welcome all, in this pivotal movement, to Side With Love.

Add your signature to this letter.

Signatories

Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association

Rev. Scott Aaseng
Abigail Abysalh-Metzger
Ms. Kathleen Adams
Rev. Dr. Julia Aegerter
Ms. Nancy Ahmadifar
Dr. Robert Alexander
Dr. Amanda Alexander
Ms. Melody Allan
Ms Gaylee Amend
Dr. Susan Anderson
Adele Andrews
Rev. Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone
Ms. Larissa Armstrong
Ms. Dana Ashrawi
Ms. Ellen Asprooth
Barbara Atkinson
Dan Bailey
Ms. J Bannester
Rev. Erica Baron
Rev. Dr. Tracie Barrett
Ms. Kathy Bartolomeo
Dr. Lynette Bassman
Janet Bednarz
Ms. Sharon Bell Stevens
Mrs. Sharon Bell-Stevens
Patricis Bennett
Ms. Rebecca Bent
Gene Bergman
Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt
Ms. Joyce Bianchini
Rev. Ashley Birt
Mx. Sara Blackthorne
Mx. Emily Blair
Ronnie Boyd
Cole Breedlove
Henry Bright
Mr. Farrell Brody
Ms. Beth Brunton
Ms. Dana Buhl
Mr. Benjamin Burch
Sue Burke
George Burman
Ms. Shirin Caldwell
Rev. Dr. Isabel Call
Mrs Cici Carilli
Cheryl Carmi
Dr. Devin Carroll
Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer
Alesha Chaffin
Mr. Donald Chery
Ms. Jane Collins
Mr. R.Sidney Collins
Rev. Otto Concannon
Rev. Susan Conrad
Rev. Julie Conrady
Mr. Larry Cooper
Rev. Darcy Corbitt
Ms. Nan Corliss
Betty Cornelisen
Rev. Lyn Cox
Carol Crabill
Mrs. Sue Craig
Chris Crass
Ms. Gretchen Crawford
Mrs. Jamaine Cripe
Mrs. Lee Curran
Patrice Curtis
Mrs. Jeanne Davis
Ms. Karen Deaton
Rev. Emily DeTar Birt
Ms. Mary Devitt
Rev. Tina DeYoe
Rev. Jaimie Dingus
Sarah Ditzler
Ms. Rebecca Donley
Angie Donnay
Laura Dooley
Ms. Lynn D Douglas
Mr. Bruce Douglas
Ms. Joyce Dowling
Ms. Helen Duffy
Martha Durkee-Neuman
Angelique Duvet-Tovar
Rev. Dayna Edwards
Natalie Eldridge
Susie Epstein
Ms. Claire Eustace
Dana Fisher Ashrawi
Beverly Fitzpatrick
Rev. Tobi Fleck
Ms. Clare Fortune-Lad
Kim Fox-Kristensen
Ms. Janna Radovsky Frelich
Ms. Roberta Frye
Lori Garcia
Dr. Shernaz Garcia
Dr. Anne Garcia
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson
Ms. Vicki Gavel
Rev. Pamela Gehrke
Elaine Gehrmann
Ms. Sally Jane Gellert
Janine Gelsinger
Elisabeth Geschiere
Mrs. Stephanie Giamberardino
Mark Giese
Ms. Ann Gilmore
Rev. Annie Gonzalez
Rev. Sara Goodman
Ms. glenda gordon
Ana Gorny
Danielle Grand
Mrs. Virginia Green
Ms. Joan Gregory
Rev. Ranwa Hammamy
Emily Hand
Ms. Katia Hansen
Dr. bill Harris
Ms. Zoe Hart
Victoria Hartman
Ms. Aisha Hauser
Ms Gwyn Helie
Peter Helwig
Paul Heniques
Rev. Meagan Henry
Rev. Patt Herdklotz
Samantha Herndon
Bill Hessell
Ms. Sandy Hildebrandt
Mr. Joel Hildebrandt
Rev. Jamie Hinson-Rieger
Rev. Dr. Lucy Hitchcock
Heather Hoecker
Dr. Donna Hoffmeister
Ray A Hommeyer
rimki honnold
Rev. Ashley Horan
Edythe Hough
Rev. Molly Housh Gordon
Ms. Kathleen Yezierska Hulley
Kirsten Hunter
Rev.erend DL Hwlfer
Ms. Laila Ibrahim
Elizabeth Ingram
Diana Ingram
Ms. Catherine Jackson
Mr. Mark Jagner
Dr. Melissa James
Rev. Abhi Janamanchi
Ruth Jenkins
Ms Cheyenne Jenvey
Mr. Bruce Jewell
Valerie Johnson
Ms. Barbara Johnston
Miss Zoe Johnston
Constance Jones
Rev. Dr. Dr. Roger Jones
Rev. Jeff Jones
Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones
Mona Jones-Romansic
Dr. Donna Joss
Dr Razan Kaileh
ANN KALINOSKI
Mr. James Kane
Ms. Rosemary Kean
Carl Kennedy
Asma Khan
Ms. Izzy Khapoya
Lynn Kimbark
Dr. D King
Rev. Dan King
Gregory King
Rev. Cecilia Kingman
Mary Kingsley
Ms. LINDA KNIGHT
Ms. Katie Kosseff
Anne Kosseff-Jones
Rev. Tim Kutzmark
Ms. Pat Lamanna
Mr. Steven Sellers Lapham
Ms. Areej Latif
Dr. Kate Lenhardt
Rev. Bran Lennox
Ms. Renate Ley
Dr. Judy Lightstone
Tanya Liscano
Dr. Deborah Little
Ms. Karin Livingstone
Andrew Livingstone
Patricia Looney-Burman
Ms. Sue Ann Lorig
Mr. Terry Lowman
Marie Lowry
Marsha Luce
Monica Luevano Mares
Kathleen Lund
Leigh Ann Luscan
Dr. Aurolyn Luykx
Rev. Jason Lydon
Mx Bernise Lynch
Mx. Sherri Lysy
Mr. Melvin Mackey
Dr. Heather MacLeod
Ken Mah
Tina Malone
Alisha Mancinas
Rev. Kevin Mann
Jennifer Marck
Mr. Bob Mason
Ms. Sally McCollum
Clara McCollum
Dr. Renee McCormick
Ms. Pamela McInnes
Kathy McKay
Ms Ann McKay Bryson
Jung Han Messinger
Ms. Joanne Michelson
elizabeth miller
Rev. Alisha Mills
Rev. Sarah Millspaugh
Mr. Michael Monroe
Rev. John Morehouse
David Morgen
Dr. John Moses
Abbas Moussaoui
Rev. Johannah Murphy
Ms. Christine Myers
Ms. Diane Nassif
Mrs. Dawn Newcomer
Dr. Gail Newel
Mrs. Jackie Newman
Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen
Jil Novenski
Ms. Susan Nye
Debbie Ockey
Mx. Kyle Osborne
Peggy Owen Sands
Lori Palmer
Ms. Kathryn Partridge
Miss QuianaDenae Perkins
Rev. Ali Peters
Lydia Philip
William Philips
Rev. Millie Phillips
Betty Prange
Dr. Marcelle Pratt
Mrs Virginia Preuss
Ms. Lois Reborne
Dr. jon rice
Ms. Mary Richards
Emily Richards
Alice Richards
Sandra Rigsbee
Rev. Cathy Rion Starr
Christina Rivera
David Roberts
Ms Nancy Roberts
Dr. robert roberts
Ms. Amanda Rogers
Jonathan G Rogers
Rev. Jonathan Rogers
Ms. Genevieve Rohan
Rev. Katie Romano Griffin
Mary Rooker
Dr. Lee Rossi
Rachel Rott
Ms Ann Rovere
Mr James Ruelas
Mr. Stephen Sacks
Ms. Judith Sadegh
Rev. Misha Sanders
Rev. Elizabeth Saunter
Ms. Wendy Schoener
Rev. Amanda Schuber
Mx. Andrea Schulz
Rev. Catie Scudera
Antoinette Scully
Jeffrey Severson
Evelyn Sheridan
Ms. Isabel Sheridan
Rev. Alia Shinbrough
Ms. Terri Shofner
Dr. Joshua Shurley
Mr. Brett Smith
Rev. Julián Soto
Sandra Steubing
Catherine Strickland
Wesley Stroupe
Ben Strube
Rev. Sonya Sukalski
Judith Swick
Rev.erend Jan Taddeo
Rev. Leslie Takahashi
Dr. Katrina Thompson
Mr. Scott Thomson
Bis Thornton
Ms. Rita Townsend
MS. Ellen Trumpler
Dr. Brenda Ungerland
Elizabeth Valencia
Danielle Van Dusen
Nico Van Ostrand
Ms. Michelle Venegas-Matula
Sandra Villareal
Hannah Villnave
Dr. Maria Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa
Dr. Caitlin Waddick
Dr. Kaitlin Walker
Virginia Waring
Mylo Way
Rev. Vail Weller
Penelope Wells
Krista Westervelt
Elizabeth Westie
Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Mrs. Jan Wiley-Egdall
G Williams
Gordon Woodworth
Ms. Carol Workman
Ms. Connie Young
Lenore Yousef
Rev. Crystal Zerfoss