Prophetic Pastoral Care Corner

By Rev. Michelle Walsh, February 2, 2025

Yes, for many of us, these are indeed more than challenging times. Some of you, I know, were already over an edge of one type or another in what

you were handling in your personal lives when the larger national scene took on an ominous tone for policies that run counter to our Unitarian Universalist values. As your minister, I’m right there with you in the angst of it all. I continue to lift up the various works of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt on the rise and fall of democracies and authoritarian regimes for cogent analysis and recommendations. Remember also, as Unitarian Universalists, among our faith’s core values and principles are both the worth and dignity of every person and the right to transparent democratic processes. These core values and principles are grounded in the lengthy religious history of our Unitarian Universalist faith tradition over centuries – including its survival through the persecutions in Europe during the Counter-Reformation period up through our contemporary social justice work with refugees during World War II that became the foundation for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. We hold a faith of deep religious roots that paradoxically makes us even more prepared for these times – and we prepare and sustain ourselves by doing so together and knowing our focus and our personal boundaries, abilities, and priorities. My colleague and partner, Rev. Clyde, has his own words to share in the next column, and I also encourage you to read the letter from your FPUU president, Kitty McGregor, in this newsletter.

Recently, the following words of advice for these times by a noted Swiss sociologist and mental health advocate, Jennifer Walter, have been circulating in a few key places on social media. I share them here with you as I also have found wisdom in these words:

“As a sociologist, I need to tell you: Your overwhelm is the goal.

1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in…[the] first days exemplifies Naomi Klein’s “shock doctrine” – using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn’t just politics as usual – it’s a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can’t keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement. What now?

1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can’t track everything – that’s by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context

5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.”  [End Quote of by Walter]

And I, Rev. Michelle, personally will end by adding – remember to breathe and find and prioritize the places of fun and joy in your life. I encourage you to try some of the Thursday options for meditation and dance/movement/exercise as well as the Lunch with Friends and First Sunday brunch potluck or the Fun Inspirational Friday Movie Matinee! This is a marathon and not a sprint, as they say, and we train differently for the marathon than we do for the sprint! Each of you is a treasure, and I and our FPUU community value each of you and the many different ways you show up! Here we practice building community.