Let Our Gratitude Be Revolutionary: November 2025 Update from Side with Love
As we move toward Thanksgiving, we hold the tension of this season: a time of gratitude rooted in harvest and community, yet shadowed by the ongoing legacy of colonization and harm to Indigenous peoples. To decolonize Thanksgiving is to tell the fuller truth: that gratitude and justice must walk hand in hand.
Across the nation, the No Kings protests are inviting a growing chorus of faith-filled people who refuse to bow to greed, fear, or authoritarian power. Side With Love stands in that sacred lineage of holy defiance, proclaiming that our faith serves no monarchs, no tyrants or dictators — only the liberating movement of love and justice.
This is an urgent hour. It is one where we practice gratitude, but also commitment to truth. While many will gather to give thanks for abundance, millions still struggle under systems that steal and hoard it. Democracy is a call to right relationship with each other and with the land. And love is our guide.
So as we approach this holiday season, let our gratitude be revolutionary. Let it move us from comfort to courage, from prayer to action. Because love — radical, accountable, and abundant — has no kings, only kin.
With fierce hope and deep thanks,
The Side With Love Team
PS: Side With Love is hiring! Check out the Clara Barton Reproductive Justice Organizing Intern and the Disability Justice Associate at uua.org/jobs to learn more and apply!
Decolonizing Thanksgiving
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, join us in exploring Bioneers’ “Decolonizing Thanksgiving” — a powerful, justice-oriented toolkit that challenges traditional Thanksgiving narratives and centers Indigenous perspectives. Rooted in interfaith values of truth-telling and community, this resource invites us to reimagine gratitude through the lenses of land ethics, history, and accountability.
Use this guide to deepen your personal reflection or as a small-group conversation starter: How does my Thanksgiving practice connect with land, story, and responsibility?
Explore the full resource at bioneers.org/decolonizing-thanksgiving.
The Gathering on Nov 10: Democracy
At our November 10th The Gathering, our UU the Vote staff will engage in conversation about where we are at this moment, what it means for us, and what we are called to do to advance a pro-democracy agenda.
The Gathering is Side With Love’s monthly event to strengthen your spirit, make sense of the threats to democracy, and take meaningful action alongside others! Join us live or watch the recording later. Let’s recommit to our collective liberation.
All Gatherings are at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 2pm HT.
Congregational Leaders
Now What: The Gathering for Congregational Leaders provides daytime, condensed access to the content from The Gathering, with additional breakout sessions for congregational leaders to reflect, strategize, and share with peers. Now What is a place to bring your challenges, your insights, and your vision for what’s ahead. November’s meeting is November 12 at 7am HT / 9am AKT / 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET.
Because Now What is exclusively for UU congregational staff and board members, we are vetting registrations to ensure that participants are in these leadership roles. This ensures that our conversations remain relevant and deeply connected to congregational life.
Imagining A Carbon Neutral World: November 19
Green Sanctuary Community Meeting
The Boise UU Fellowship has committed to becoming Carbon Neutral by 2050 as part of their Green Sanctuary 2030 commitments. Engaging the entire congregation in a 2023 special appeal “Imagining A Carbon Neutral World,” BUUF launched their carbon neutral campaign which will focus on reducing the BUUF carbon footprint and supporting members to reduce their individual emissions while also building strong relations with community groups doing mitigation work. Learn how one congregation engaged in this powerful work and connect with other congregations for shared learning and mutual support in this crucial and transformative ministry.
