Hi,Friends,

I knew this year was going to be difficult, but I did not expect the first thing to be the murder of a rapid responder in her own neighborhood. Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7, 2026. She was not the first person to suffer this fate. On September 12, 2025, Silverio Villegas González was shot at close range by an ICE agent in Franklin Park during Operation Midway Blitz and over 30 other people have died at the hands of ICE since the current White House administration took office.

I am proud of our congregation for having the capacity and willingness to host the vigil on January 11th organized by Indivisible Evanston to remember these victims and to demand accountability by the agents involved and their superiors. I am also proud of our communities for our continued commitment to meet ICE’s violence with steadfast peaceful, nonviolent protest. 

Keep reaching out to each other. Keep taking breaks from the news. Keep showing up. It is important to take care of yourself in order to stay engaged. We are in this together and together we will make it through this day, this week, this month.

The last week of December, my wife and I attended the family birthday party for one of my nephews. It was a rock climbing party in a set of converted grain elevators. I had never been climbing before and decided to try it. I loved it. The photo is of me at the top of the beginner’s wall. Before we could climb on our own, we had to participate in their orientation session. This week I have been returning to three things the instructor told us.

First, stand at the bottom and look up. From what you can see, make a plan for your ascent. Most days, I can envision a future for our country in which we have moved through what is happening right now by, as The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described, committing to “the creative power of nonviolence as the force which is capable of winning lasting and meaningful brotherhood and peace.” My vision rests in a hope that we will not return to the status quo, but will forge a future in which accessible healthcare, affordable housing, and accountable public officials become the norm. 

Second, trust the auto-belay. You won’t be willing to take the risky move if you don’t trust that when you fall, you will be caught. We have to find the people and communities that we can trust, so that we are willing to take the risks needed to climb into the future. I am grateful to be part of our congregation and our faith movement, in which I have found individuals and institutions that I trust to support me, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, in this difficult time in our country’s history. If you are still developing that trust and there is a way I might support you, please do not hesitate to contact me at sfrances@ucevanson.org.

Third, stay focused on your next move. I cannot control the lies published online. I can take one deep breath. I cannot control the chaotic, illegal, and inhumane events created by the federal government. I can show up at one vigil or one protest. I cannot stop the tears that come as I read the news. I can laugh with one other person. I cannot change the laws, but I can write one email to one legislator or cast my one vote. I cannot stop the exhausting stream of events, but I can take one nap. Balance your next move of action with an additional move of self-care. 

These three concepts apply to our personal lives as well. When you are feeling overwhelmed by any aspect of life: create a plan, find people you trust to support you, and stay focused on what you need to do next. If we keep doing these together, we’ll make it through. We’re stronger together.

Yours in collectively climbing into our future,

Rev. Susan