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Minister's Column: February 26, 2026 - "Alysa Liu"

2/25/2026

Minister’s Column: “Alysa Liu”

I enjoyed watching the winter Olympics the past two weeks. This year I watched more curling than I ever have in my life, understanding the rules and strategy for the first time. But it was the figure skating that really grabbed me—especially the moving story of Alysa Liu.

USA figure skater Alysa Liu was the youngest ever national champion in 2019, when she was just 13 years old. Three years later, however, shortly after the 2022 Olympics, she announced her retirement from skating. She decided that she had had enough of the pressure and the grind of international competition—in a sport where you train endless hours year-round for a competition that lasts a few minutes. She wanted to live her own life, to have friends and do normal things. And then, a few years later, she returned to skating—but this time it was on her own terms. As her coach said, the younger version of Alysa did what everyone else said to do (and was very good at it), while the post-retirement Alysa did things her way.

Watching her compete last week at the Milan Olympics, 20 year-old Alysa Liu had a totally different energy than the other skaters. She was loose, free, and joyful. She said that she was just happy to be there, intending to enjoy the experience, and didn’t care whether or not she won a medal. This non-stressed attitude is totally different from the other competitors—for most of whom you can see the tension in their face. Because of her joyful approach, Alysa skated extremely well and won the gold medal.

Watching this from home, I thought, This woman has found the key to life. She skated her best (which turned out to be the best in the world) because she was relaxed. She had nothing to prove to herself; she did not need the approval of judges, parents, coaches, or anyone else. She re-discovered her joy in skating after quitting for a few years, and managed to keep it in the right size in her life. Ironically, not caring about winning allowed her to win.

I think we all can learn from this example: may we be at peace with our abilities and our tasks; may we do what we love to do and are good at doing. And may we do the best we can, for the joy of doing it.

Rev. Drew Frantz
February 24, 2026

Tao te Ching, verse 24 (trans. Stephen Mitchell):

He who stands on tiptoe
doesn’t stand firm.
He who rushes ahead
doesn’t go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can’t know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can’t empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.

If you want to accord with the Tao,
just do your job, then let go.

Minister's Column: February 18, 2026 - Rev. Jesse Jackson

2/18/2026

Today Rev. Jesse Jackson died. A human rights advocate and political figure, he bridged the civil rights era of Martin Luther King and the modern era of Barack Obama. Jesse Jackson was present when Martin Luther King was killed, and went on television the following day wearing clothing stained by his blood. In the years and decades that followed, Jackson did a lot to advance civil rights for Black Americans. A serious candidate for president in 1984 and 1988, Jackson won as much as 29% of the Democratic primary vote. His presence as a political leader and his advocacy for voting rights contributed to the eventual election of our first Black president.

This death comes during the month when we celebrate Black History. Two counterpoints in today’s news demonstrate the importance of that history. First, as a society we decide what to celebrate from our past: heroes to lift up as examples of values-based living. Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama are such men. Charlie Kirk is not. Yet Florida and a few other states are trying to pass laws to commemorate Kirk—whose stated views were blatantly racist. As one Black Florida lawmaker stated, this is like having a law proposed by the KKK.

The second counterpoint to celebrating Jesse Jackson is the removal of historical exhibits, under the Trump administration, honoring Black history. In a positive development yesterday, a judge ordered Trump to restore a slavery exhibit that he had removed from George Washington’s home in Philadelphia.

History matters. Our values matter—as expressed in our laws, in our museums, in our history books, and in our holidays. As Unitarian Universalists, we recommit ourselves again this day to racial justice. We hold love as the highest value, and we fiercely believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. The life and deeds of Jesse Jackson are in line with these values. Let us remember him in honor and pledge to do what we can with our voice in our time.

PRAYER:
Rev. Jesse, child of South Carolina and of Chicago, rest in peace.
Rest in power, brother Jackson. We can still hear your powerful voice making speeches at the Democratic National Convention, offering hope and inspiration.
May your legacy be one of hope and of increasing freedom and justice.
May we continue that work today and every day.
Amen.

Rev. Drew Frantz
February 17, 2026

Minister's Column February 11, 2026 - “Bad Bunny Halftime Show”

2/11/2026

I watched the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday featuring Bad Bunny, and I found it authentic, cinematic, and meaningful. I also think it is a milestone in American culture.

A Puerto Rican artist, Bad Bunny is one of the most successful musicians in the world. Because he is a Spanish-language rapper, I had not heard of him and his music until now…that is, until the controversy. The political and cultural right in the U.S. decried the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny for this show, one of the most watched events in our culture. They said it was “un-American” to have someone singing in Spanish at the Super Bowl, and tried to promote an alternative show with MAGA-friendly artists. That effort failed spectacularly with an embarrassingly low viewership.

In today’s ultra-divided America, I have noticed that people on the left and the right can see the exact same thing and come away with different conclusions. In the case of the Bad Bunny show, the reactions that people have seems to reflect the cultural and political divide.

The performance was 100% in Spanish—no translations, no subtitles. The 13-minute show was much more narrative and culturally substantive than any Super Bowl halftime I can remember. It featured quintessential elements of Latin culture and references to recent Puerto Rican history, most of which I could grasp visually even though I don’t speak Spanish. A fierce cultural and linguistic pride came through the performance, and a sense of community, diversity, and joy. As I analyze this as a moment in American culture, I could be wrong because I am very liberal. I know that the left generally celebrates this performance and the right generally denounces it. I have a feeling, however, that the center is generally accepting and curious about this performance—more positive than negative. This is because the MAGA halftime show bombed in terms of viewership and because their criticism of Bad Bunny is so racist and nonsensical.

I am an optimist, and I don’t want to overstate this. There have been moments in recent years when the cultural (and political) shift towards diversity, inclusion and pluralism seemed to be strong…only to have a racist backlash follow. In this moment, however, it feels like we have a racist administration whose treatment of brown immigrants is very unpopular—and the shift in public sentiment is back towards the center-left. This was my first time seeing or hearing Bad Bunny. He was charismatic, energetic, and unapologetically Latino. He had me moving to the music though I didn’t know the words. I think that much of the nation, and millions of viewers around the world, also enjoyed the performance—and either embraced the political significance of the first-ever Spanish halftime show, or accepted it as part of the diversity of this country with its 68 million Latin residents. Bad Bunny reminded us in his finale that “America” includes many countries, most of which are Spanish-speaking. And he demonstrated that cultural diversity is alive and well here.

PRAYER:
God, I am still a little mad that you ignored my prayer for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Maybe the Seattle Seahawks fans prayed louder.
I am grateful, however, for the mind-opening and diversity-affirming entertainment of a courageous and talented American from Puerto Rico.
May every language and every culture be celebrated. May every people’s music and history be lifted up.
May mercy and wisdom come to those who denounce and belittle people based on ethnicity.
May the day soon arrive when all nations, races, and cultures are shared and celebrated joyfully.
Amen.

Rev. Drew Frantz
February 10, 2026

Minister's Column: February 4, 2026 - "Front Line Resistance"

2/4/2026

I want to lift up two of my colleagues today for their courageous protest against authoritarianism. First, I honor the Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt, the president of the UU Association—our national leader. Last Thursday she was part of a group of dozens of clergy who were arrested at the United States capitol. She was protesting the proposed funding of the Department of Homeland Security—including ICE—which is responsible for the surge of violent police in Minneapolis and other cities. “There is no moral justification for voting for a budget that will put more resources toward the violation and dehumanization of our neighbors,” she said. “As religious leaders, we have an ethical obligation to show up and say that this will not be done in our name.”

Secondly, I honor Rev. Eric Severson, minister of the UU Fellowship of Midland, who travelled to Minneapolis recently as part of the huge protest there. He was among 700 clergy (including 200 UU ministers) who took part in a full day of training; then a full day of resistance in sub-zero temperatures. “Preparing for the cold was the easy part,” he reported as part of his sermon the day after he returned. “Preparing for potential violence was harder.” I recommend listening to his whole sermon, archived on their website (January 25), and I will mention just a couple of details that he shared. He spoke of the large gathering of clergy and said that one of the leaders was late to the meeting—because she was delivering breast milk to a hungry three-month-old whose mother had been abducted by ICE. Rev. Eric described another gathering in a very small immigrant church where there was a lock-down during the visit due to ICE activity in the neighborhood. During the lock down the church hosts made soup to feed the 100 visiting clergy. These same church leaders, in this immigrant church, have had their names and contact information published on the internet by those who want to attack and harm them. “No one is coming to save us,” the leaders told Rev. Eric and the other clergy. “We have to look out for one another.”

The city of Minneapolis remains under occupation by federal forces. Congress is voting to extend the funding of these forces at astronomical levels. Our people are finding their place and their voice in the resistance, as we all are called to do.

PRAYER:
Spirit of life and love, be with the people of Minneapolis today.
Grant them continued courage and solidarity; grant them the love and care of neighbors.
May peace and sanity come to our nation as we communally reject violence and fascism.
May each of us find the strength to do what we can do for greater love and justice.
May peace and love prevail. Amen.

Rev. Drew Frantz
February 3, 2026

Rev. Andrew Frantz

UUFCM Minister

Office hours:
In-person
Tuesday 10-noon
Wednesday 1-3 & 8-9pm

Outside of Office Hours, Drew is reachable at any time via text, phone, or email.

Day off: Monday
Contact for emergencies only

[email protected]
Phone/text: 440-935-0129

Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him.

For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or [email protected]. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance.

Minister's Column: February 26, 2026 - "Alysa Liu"

Minister's Column: February 18, 2026 - Rev. Jesse Jackson

Minister's Column February 11, 2026 - “Bad Bunny Halftime Show”

Minister's Column: February 4, 2026 - "Front Line Resistance"

Rev. Andrew Frantz

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