From the UUA President: Fierce Love Compels Us To Action

By Sofía Betancourt

January 23, 2025

Fam, Family, Familia,

There are mornings when I wake with a deep need for wisdom that comes from sources beyond my own individual self – times when the struggle toward justice and the next faithful action eludes me and I find myself grateful that I am able to turn to the larger community, the legacy of my ancestors, and the shared values of our faith tradition that I hold dear.

I wonder if, like me, you have experienced such mornings over the course of the last week – rising to the knowledge that we cannot do this alone. The extraordinary good news, even amid so much pain, is that we don’t have to.

Each and all of us is in fact a vital part of the fabric of this nation, deeply beloved and deserving of protection, safety, and belonging.

We should not need to repeat the basic truth that Trans people exist in this world. That our Transgender and Nonbinary beloveds – my family and yours – are not only real, but sacred. That each and all of us is in fact a vital part of the fabric of this nation, deeply beloved and deserving of protection, safety, and belonging. That Earth itself cries out for restitution, and we must not turn away from the fight for climate justice. I send love upon love to the interconnected family that we are for one another, knowing that none of us goes it alone in these destabilizing and complex times. We are real. We are here. Together, in all the ways we can be. And we will remain committed to the struggle ahead and the future we will make together.

As the executive orders rolled out of the office of the US President on Monday, we witnessed the attempted unravelling of decades of work for a more fair and free nation. Among the documents signed this week was an unconstitutional executive order challenging the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which enshrines the right of citizenship to those born in the United States. Passed in 1868, the 14th Amendment has been the lasting bulwark against the Jim Crow laws designed to dehumanize Black communities in the South.

These executive orders pave the way for large-scale deportations, the separation of families, and the unjust exercise of power in ways we can expect and ways we will discover in the years to come. We know they are already being challenged in the courts. Our work must be to challenge the bad theologies and oppressive systems that support them.

I am the daughter of immigrants. Both countries of my parents’ heritage – Chile and Panamá – have been held under the control of US trained dictators. This shapes my analysis, as do all our relationships, identities, and commitments. And I know that for many of us, these new executive orders do not contain abstract human rights violations, but very real harm that will impact us and those we love in our daily living.

We Unitarian Universalists are people with diverse identities, stories, and experiences. Yet we are personally, theologically, and covanentally bound together by the expansive Love that has always been the animating center of our faith. Far more powerful than any faction, leader, nation, or creed, it is this fierce Love that compels our deepest loyalty and our most courageous action. And it is this Love that moves through and between us, enabling us to nurture wisdom, guidance, courage, and grounding in ourselves and in one another.

We must respond with action. I encourage you to reach out to your local communities, support organizations that are long established in the fight for justice, and make your voices heard. Together we can build a future where love and justice reign.

In these days I send my love and solidarity – to each of you and to your families, communities, and organizing networks. To our faith, our nation, and the world. May that love take the form of courageous and faithful resistance and renewed commitment, today and in the days and years to come.

With faith and renewed purpose,

Sofía

Resources for Taking Action

Support the Pink Haven Coalition. Founded and led by 2STGE+ organizers, the Pink Haven Coalition has built an international mutual-aid network that provides life-saving aid to those living under hostile governments in the U.S.

Support the We Are Home Campaign. Over 20 immigrant-led coalitions have come together to deliver a clear message rooted in each person’s undeniable humanity and worth—We are Home. Learn how you can support their concrete demands and intersectional organizing strategy.

Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt is the 10th UUA President, elected at General Assembly in June 2023 for a six year term. Rev. Dr. Betancourt has served Unitarian Universalism for more than twenty years in many roles.