In April of this year, we placed a Black Lives Matter / Side with Love banner in the meadow near the entrance to the church.

Sometime between the 5th and 6th of August, the banner was cut down by unknown persons. Unfortunately, this kind of vandalism against Black Lives Matter is a common occurrence.  (Also: here.) Fortunately, however, we anticipated this might occur, and within a day of discovering the banner was gone, we replaced it.

And we will continue to do so because we will not let those who deny the “mattering” of black and brown skinned people, those who deny the fundamental humanity of all people, frighten us into silence.

Our love is too expansive for that.

Each time someone lashes out, in their pain, their fear, their loneliness, we will respond in love.

And we’ll keep replacing the banner until its prophetic voice is heard and known to be true.