Greetings, all. I hope the new year finds you as well as can be expected.

Political changes promise to pose great challenges in coming months and years. These include the wholesale destruction of social and political guardrails and the institutions that lie behind them. Experts like Timothy Snyder (On Tyranny) have studied and written and taught about such extremism, and we would do well to listen and learn. These changes are well beyond any we have seen in our lifetimes and threaten the wellbeing of strangers, friends, and loved ones alike all around the world, as well as the planet itself.

With these changes, I am afraid; I do not know what the future holds. I do know that we fear what we do not yet understand. I do know that there is strength in numbers; it helps when we know that we are not alone. And I do know that people in cultures and societies and social systems around the world have successfully resisted and prevailed over tyranny before.

There is much that we can do to remain healthy, strong, and resilient. For starters, I would direct you to this website at the Unitarian Universalist Association for ideas of actions we might take, individually and together, to help guide us through the challenges we face.

Please be in touch with our board president, Jim Crissman, our president-elect, Monica Hughes, or me if you have ideas, news to share, or questions as we move forward.

With you in the struggle,

Rev. Eric Severson