By Mike Wilson

Across America, people are sensing something fragile slipping away—the everyday freedoms that speak to us as a democracy. The right to speak truth without fear, to be different, to vote with equality, to trust that government serves the people, all of these are under strain. But freedom disappears not only when it is taken; it vanishes when people stop believing in and defending it, when we stop understanding how and why to create a functional democracy.

Empowering the Use of Democracy Begins with Reconnection

Our first task must be to rebuild the strength of civic belonging. Freedom grows where people feel seen and heard. UU congregations can become centers of democratic renewal; spaces where diverse voices gather to speak freely, listen deeply, and rediscover common ground. We must find ways to host community stories, invite neighbors across political divides, and practice a “deep listening democracy.” This is how freedom is installed in hearts and minds—through relationship, not rhetoric.

Empower Democracy Through Local Action

The second task is to shift from discussion to coordinated effort. True democracy exists close to home—in school boards, zoning meetings, library policies, and county plans. UUs can map the power structures in their communities, identify where decisions are made, and show up collectively to make those decisions more transparent and inclusive. Freedom grows when ordinary people turn shared values into shared governance.

Empower Democracy by Linking Freedom to Equity

Freedom cannot thrive where inequality silences voices. UUs can strengthen democracy by working for economic fairness, racial equity, and social inclusion, ensuring that those most affected by decisions are present when those decisions are made. UUCWC can partner with local organizations advancing voting rights, housing justice, or fair wages. Each act of inclusion restores the power that autocracy steals.

Empower Democracy by Learning and Teaching

Civic education is itself a form of ministry. A congregation that teaches people how power works, how policies are written, how disinformation spreads, and how to hold officials accountable is actively building freedom. Offer democracy workshops, youth civic projects, and media literacy forums. When people understand the mechanisms of power, they gain the capacity to act.

Empower Democracy Through Collective Faith

Finally, Unitarian Universalists can embody the love that democracy needs most: moral courage combined with hopeful action. When we deliberate in community, model the democratic spirit, and demand involvement itself, we can extend these practices into neighborhoods, coalitions, and public life, transforming faith into civic energy.

Democracy will not save itself. It lives only through the people who use it. For UUs, to use democracy is to affirm our love of freedom, one action, one decision, one gathering at a time as we act together in love.