News: January 16, 2026

Dear Members and Friends,

While the calendar is telling us that the new year (and winter) are undeniably here, the temperatures outside would indicate otherwise. As you’re reading this, Conrad and I have decamped to the northeast to search for more January-like weather and see a show or two.

Which means I’m writing this in advance, while the murder of a citizen by an ICE agent is still dominating the news. Appearing regularly on my social media feed is the quote from 1984 by George Orwell, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Despite widespread live media coverage on January 6, 2021, the deaths of five people, and injuries sustained by 174 police officers, the administration has asked the world to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears. They have desecrated the White House website by posting a fictitious account of the mob attack which attempts to rewrite history.

Soon after, an ICE agent shot a woman in the face when she attempted to flee the agent’s unlawful aggression. Again, despite clear video footage, the administration broadcast a clearly fictitious account labeling the victim a domestic terrorist.

I’ve come to the conclusion that when religion asks adherents to believe what they’re told despite evidence to the contrary, it becomes easier for the government to successfully do the same. No, everything doesn’t happen for a reason, some things are inexplicably awful. No, God is not always good, some things are truly awful. Yes, we have a right to question God, some things are awful, and if God is all that smart, they should be able to explain it to me.

Our 4th UU Principle is “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning”, and one of our sources is “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.”

One of the many reasons I love Unitarian Universalism is that we encourage one another to use reason, and embrace the evidence of our eyes and ears. It provides us with a deeper, more balanced spirituality than one where we are asked to simply accept what others tell us. And we aren’t as liable to accept the false narratives fed to the populace by amoral public figures.

On another topic - I know the flu is making the rounds – I’ve even heard it referred to as the Super-flu. I know some of you have already succumbed. Please be careful when out in public – for the last few years, we’ve gotten used to wearing masks when air-borne problems rear their ugly heads. Don’t be afraid to wear a mask to protect your health.

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Day, February is Black History Month, and on Sunday Rev. Colin will preach a sermon titled "The Complete Education: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Content of Character"

I leave you with this from poet Joseph Fasano,

Rumi

In a dream I asked him
What can I do
if I can’t change it

and he pointed
to the graves
and whispered witness it


Holding you in hope and love,

Rev. D. Scott Cooper 
Associate Minister 
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston 
scott@firstuu.org