Westminster Presbyterian Church
  • Home
    • Current News >
      • Calendar
  • About
    • Who We Are - Our Present
    • Who We've Been - Our Past >
      • Timeline of Presbyterian History in Auburn NY
    • Staff and Leadership
    • Small Groups and Ministry Opportunities
    • Tour
    • Weddings, Funerals, & Other Building Use
  • Worship
    • 2023 Sermons
    • Music
    • Children's Worship
  • Education
    • Adults
    • Children and Youth
  • Mission
  • Blog
  • Give

Small Acts Bring Change

7/8/2020

0 Comments

 
by Kimberly Patch
 
We have entered a time when we can no longer ignore the cries of “I can’t breathe,” “Stop killing us,” and “Black lives matter” ringing from the voices of the Black community. How we have ignored these cries for so long is beyond my comprehension. I have begun the process of educating myself by listening, and I have promised to simply do better. But this promise is only as good as the verifiable actions I take in my life.
 
I have made many changes in the ways I protest. Aside from attending every protest possible, I wear a protest t-shirt almost every single day. I have several shirts that are bold with the message of Black Lives Matter. Wearing these shirts is an easy way to protest passively while making an impact. I have had great conversations about the subject of protest on my shirts. I have also infuriated those who are steeped in racism and white fragility. I am able to create a mini protest within a larger movement, a protest of one, anywhere I go.
 
My family has taken action by hanging a Black Lives Matter flag from our home. At first our children, who have been brought up to love people, were afraid that someone would vandalize our house, coming from a place of hate. This was also at the forefront of my mind. As you may have read last week, we at Westminster Presbyterian Church recently experienced acts of hate stealing and defacing the Black Lives Matter sign on our front lawn. Our family’s decision to hang up the flag was the right thing to do and it has flown from our house ever since. Only once did someone say something negative about it but my husband ensured the conversation was brief.
 
There are many positive outcomes from flying this flag on our home. People whom we have never spoken to before smile and wave or stop to talk. We have shown our home and our family to be a safe space. Our biracial foster son has taken pride in being the one to place the flag pole in its holder on the house each morning. He is reminded that his life matters before most of the occupants in our home awaken. One day I was standing on the porch and two children, approximately eight to ten years old, were racing down the sidewalk on their bikes. The young white girl yelled with excitement in her voice to her friend to look at the flag. He immediately looked up with pride glowing on his face. He proclaimed in a loud and sure voice, “ BLACK LIVES MATTER. I’m black and my life matters!” It was in that moment I realized, if no one ever sees that flag flowing in the breeze from our home again, it is okay. The flag has done its job by affirming this little boy. It was a beautiful affirmation that I am sure his parents have reinforced since his birth, but this time, he saw it hanging on a white neighbor’s home.
 
A friend of mine who lives on a well travelled road in a rural area, recently told me she was driving home from work and she witnessed a single white teenager standing at the end of his driveway holding a sign that simply said, Black Lives Matter. It was a small but meaningful act against hatred.
 
It is times like this when we hear of the murders of people such as Elijah McCain, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, George Floyd, Botham Jean, the list goes on, it is times like these, our voices must lift up the message of the Black community. Black lives matter. Black lives are holy lives. The Black community is a holy community. Until we can look deep into the eyes of Black men, women and children, proclaiming their holiness as the image of God coming from the farthest reaches of every sinew of our bodies, until then, we have work to do. Until all people see the value, humanity, and beauty in every person of color, we must continue to educate ourselves and others. We can make a difference, one small act at a time whether it be holding a sign at the end of your driveway, wearing a t-shirt or hanging a flag. It can have an enormous impact in this great movement against the injustice of hatred and bigotry. Do something, regardless of how small.
 
Kimberly Patch is a graduate (M.A., Master of Divinity) of Northeastern Seminary. She is an inquirer for ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament, under the care of Westminster Presbyterian Church. She lives in Auburn with her husband and children. She is also a foster mother, a social justice advocate and president of the board of directors of the new Auburn Hunger Task Force, which is working to provide free daily meals to the Auburn community. 


 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    April 2022
    November 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly