Beloved spiritual companions,
Each week, at the beginning of worship, a flaming chalice will be lit by Unitarians,
Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists around the country and even around the
world. It is one symbol of our living tradition that connects all of our churches,
congregations, and communities no matter where they are. These days, it is not lost on
me that this symbol was designed by a refugee, an Austrian refugee by the name of
Hans Deutsch, for the work that was being done by the Unitarian Service Committee to
assist refugees and asylum seekers during WWII. Before the flaming chalice filled our
churches, it was a symbol of hope, solidarity, and sanctuary. The image of the flaming
chalice was placed on the seal of travel documents given to refugees and asylum
seekers, and sometimes even drawn in the dirt outside of the doorway of safe house.
In the past few months, I have become very active with community leaders and
organizations in McHenry County and Lake County who are involved with immigrant
rights and community-based deportation defense as our current administration
continues to escalate plans for mass deportation and enacts human rights violations
against the immigrant community.
As I have gotten to know our surrounding communities better, I have learned that just a
little more than 19% of the population of Lake County is made up of immigrants from
other countries, with an estimated 38,000 people who are undocumented. In McHenry,
approximately 9% of the population is made up of immigrants with an estimated 8,000
undocumented individuals. Our region of the state has the highest concentration of
immigrants and undocumented immigrants with the largest numbers and percentages
being in Cook, Kane, DuPage, and Lake Counties. It is literally our neighbors and our
neighborhoods that are being targeted. I’d like to invite as many of you who might be
willing and able to join in this cause.
I’ve included with this message a list of resources both local and national that you may
want to consider connecting with. I have highlighted some of them in the video
accompanying this message.
One action we can take is to stay informed and to help others stay informed. In the
midst of so much misinformation and disinformation, credible sources and information
cannot and should not be underestimated. Timothy Snyder, a historian with expertise in
the study of fascism and authoritarianism, emphasizes the importance of maintaining
factual information in the face of propaganda.
It is also important to stay engaged and involved. Whether that is helping distribute
know your rights information, getting involved with policy advocacy, joining or supporting
a local or national immigrant rights organization, becoming involved in a local rapid
response team or other deportation defense efforts, doing advocacy or policy work with ICIRR or another advocacy organization, getting involved with court watch or with
mutual aide, any of us can do something. Whether it is immigration justice, or there is
another justice issue that speaks to your heart and conscience. All issues of justice and
injustice are interconnected. We each have an impact where we can, where we feel
called by Love, and with our own gifts that we bring.
In the words that our Prairie Circle congregation sings each week to their children and
each other, “ Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you
can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, to everyone you can, as long as
ever you can.”
In faith, hope, and love,
Chaplain Dave
Resources:
National Immigrant Justice Center: www.immigrantjustice.org
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): www.icirr.org
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI): www.uuani.org
Illinois Immigration Information Hub: www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org
Youth and Family Center of McHenry County: www.mfc-mc.org
Mano A Mano Family Resource Center: www.mamfrc.org
ICIRR 2025 Policy Platform: www.icirr.org/platform-2025
Know Your Rights: www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/know-your-rights
Observation S.A.L.U.T.E.: https://treeoflifeuu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SALUTE-documenting-ICE.jpeg
Local and National Resources: https://treeoflifeuu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Resource-Page.revised-1.docx
McHenry County Rapid Response Team info available on Facebook
Lake County Rapid Response Team info contact Mano A Mano
For info on upcoming court watch trainings through Solidarity Working Group contact
Chaplain Dave