In Difficult Times, We Are the Hope We’ve Been Waiting For

A group of Unitarian Universalist ministers stand on a snowy street in Minneapolis. They are wearing heavy jackets and hats. Most are wearing clerical collars and stoles, including several wearing yellow "Side With Love" stoles.

UU Ministers in Minneapolis, January 2026

There is no question that these are difficult times. Across the country, Americans – including Unitarian Universalists – responded in shock at the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7th. At the time of her death, Good was doing what so many across the country have been doing over the past year – looking out for her neighbors, protecting them from government overreach. For her courage, she was killed and those who paved the way for her death have attempted to harm her reputation after the fact.

The truth is, there are thousands of people in the United States who have been subjected to abusive tactics by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. Communities of color, in particular, have borne the brunt of state-sponsored violence, all in the name of allegedly keeping the rest of us safe from “the worst of the worst.” Instead, they have brought violence and terror to communities already made vulnerable by long-term systemic oppression.

The Rev. Ashley Horan, the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Vice President for Programs and Ministries, lives only a block away from where Renee Nicole Good was killed, and she used one of the most important modern tools at her disposal – her phone – to communicate what was happening in Minneapolis immediately after the incident. She has been a part of a growing group of interfaith volunteers supporting residents in reaction to both Renee Good’s killing and the surging ICE presence in Minnesota. And, along with many other Unitarian Universalists in the Twin Cities area, she has been visible in her public witness, protesting and providing mutual aid.

We know that so many Unitarian Universalists across the country have been doing the same kind of public witness. UUs did not need to be told to meet the moment; they just do it. This public witness carries one clear message: that UUs side with love, not hate. UU values of pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and justice are not just words spoken on a Sunday morning — UUs live out these values every day of the week, and not just in their congregations. In times such as these, UUs have shown once again that they know how to be the hope that we’ve been waiting for.

How UUs are Showing up for Love and Justice

Here are a few of the recent stories that highlight the ways that UUs are showing up for love:

Centering Love, Creating Hope

Rev. Rob Keithan, wearing a clerical collar and black and yellow clothing, speaks to a group at a candlelight vigil protesting ICE. The group are wearing heavy winter clothing, and there is an American flag in the background.

At the Candlelight Vigil of Prayer and Protest for an End to ICE and Police Violence in Washington, DC

On Sunday, January 11th, Rev. Rob Keithan of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC helped to organize the “Candlelight Vigil of Prayer and Protest for an End to ICE and Police Violence.” This action followed the participation of Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, Senior Minister at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist in Maryland, who spoke out against ICE at a press conference outside the White House two days after Renee Good’s killing.

Unitarian Universalists are doing what we have always done when there is injustice – speaking truth to power, siding with our neighbors, and centering love. We are creating the hope that we need.

Further Reading