​Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “Peaceful Protest”
 
As I write this on Tuesday, the protests in Los Angeles and the response of the federal government are ongoing. Aggressive raids against immigrants triggered community protest, which in turn led to the calling out of the national guard. This deployment is unlawful because it is against the wishes of the governor of California, and I fear it will lead to further escalation.
 
On social media today I saw a video of my friend and colleague, Rev. Omega Burkhart, at this protest. She was with a group of clergy, and was being interviewed by a local TV station. The reporter asked her about the message and the situation. Rev. Omega’s message was: we are here to protest peacefully. We understand that many people are angry and fearful. We want to give them a place to voice their concerns. They are concerned about what is happening to their families and their neighbors, and they have a right to protest peacefully.
 
This comes as we are planning a “No Kings” protest on Saturday that many UU’s and other concerned community members will attend. The message, and the concerns, are the same in Mount Pleasant as they are on the streets of L.A. My presence and my intention are the same as those of Rev. Omega: to help maintain calm and peace within the demonstration; to offer spiritual and emotional support to anyone present; to give voice to the values underlying the protest.
 
Every human has the right to dignity; to due process and fair treatment under the law; to protest peacefully against harmful government policies and actions. For these and other rights we are demonstrating in the streets of Los Angeles – and on Saturday at 11:00, at the Meijer parking lot in Mount Pleasant.
 
PRAYER:
God of all:
May there be safety for the protesters in L.A. tonight.
May no harm come to any citizen, immigrant, law enforcement officer, or national guardsman.
May all citizens and residents of this country be safe to express their opinions. May our voices unite to say we demand a government that helps the poor, that funds schools and medical research, that protects the weak and the sick and the old.
May it be so.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
June 10, 2025

​Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
Minister’s Column: “Freedom”
 
In honor of this month’s theme of Freedom, I share this poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, entitled “Perhaps It Would Eventually Erode, But…”

​I’m grateful to this poet for reminding us about the hellish task of Sisyphus, and for encouraging us to break free from the soul-crushing routines that we are locked into. Or, that we lock ourselves into, as the poem seems to suggest. To me the endless pushing of the rock uphill (only to have it roll down again) is like the rat race of working jobs we don’t like. It also reminds me of the struggle with addiction: being locked in a pattern of bad habits that we think are doing something for us, but keep putting us in the same low place.
 
My take-away from the poem is that we hold the key to our own liberation. That is the same message I get from these words, the chorus of a song called “Houdini” written by the band BackBone:

​Other things can keep us feeling trapped as well: clinging to anger and resentment; doing things the same way even if they aren’t working; putting ourselves down and not believing in ourselves. In all of these examples, there is a chance of setting ourselves free through perceiving the problem and working to change ourselves. It may not be easy and it may take help, but I believe we can accomplish this kind of self-growth.
 
To further explore the theme of freedom, I invite you to consider these questions, if any of them speak to you:

PRAYER:
Spirit of Life and Love, may every human being seek and know greater freedom.
May there be freedom from oppression, freedom from sickness, freedom from poverty.
And may we have the freedom of spirit to thrive to our fullest potential, unlocking the best parts of ourselves.
May it be so.
 
Rev. Drew Frantz
June 3, 2025