Ironically, it would seem that someone from my local community has seen fit to alter the BLM sign in order to remove it's idolatrous leanings, as illustrated by the following follow up (to the original) article printed in the local paper:
Auburn church's BLM sign vandalized, GoFundMe launched for new one
Jul 6, 2020
The Black Lives Matter sign outside Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn Monday after it was vandalized.
The Black Lives Matter sign in front of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn July 3
The "Black Lives Matter" sign in front of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn, after "Black" was removed by a vandal and then replaced by the church.
Days after it was stolen and retrieved, the "Black Lives Matter" sign in front of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn has been vandalized.
The word "Black" in the sign's message — "All lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter" — was discovered missing on Monday morning.
Church member Kim Patch said the vandalism must have taken place Sunday night since people saw the sign intact that day.
"It's hurtful. But it also reinforces the idea that this sign is needed," said Patch, who noted that she was speaking personally and not on the church's behalf.
"The fact that the word 'Black' had to be taken off the sign is testament to the racism," Patch continued. "'Black' had to be taken out in order for all lives to matter? What are they trying to say?"
Within hours of the vandalism's discovery, Patch launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to support the church. It has a goal of $500, and had raised more than $1,690 by 5 p.m. The church's leadership will ultimately decide how to spend the money, Patch said, but she hopes the show of community support will encourage them to buy a new sign.
In the meantime, the church's pastor, the Rev. Patrick David Heery, spent some of his Monday making a poster that says "Black" and duct-taping it to the sign to replace the missing piece.
Heery added that the church has decided it will replace the sign.
"I am so amazed by the success of the GoFundMe page," he said. "That was created by Kim on our her own, as a kindness to the church and a statement of solidarity. The church hadn't even had a chance yet to discuss next steps, so while it wasn't created by the church, we are so grateful for it! And so grateful for Kim!"
Patch believes few churches would post a sign like "Black Lives Matter" in the first place, fearing they could offend people. But she said that commitment to social justice makes her proud to be a member of Westminster, which was founded by an abolitionist pastor and hosted the wedding of Harriet Tubman.
"Westminster takes the stance that we need to lift up every marginalized community in our community," Patch said.
Auburn Police Department Chief Shawn Butler said Heery has contacted the department about the vandalism, but will again decline to pursue charges if the person responsible is found. Butler added that the vandalism does not appear to have been captured by any surveillance cameras. Anyone with information is asked to contact officer Bethney Guzalak at (315) 253-3231.
Patch said she's unaware of any other incidents with the sign. But she's afraid its vandalism won't be the last one.
"I have a feeling we're going to have to replace that sign over and over and over again," she said. "But I want to keep on fighting this fight because racism runs deep in Auburn, as we've seen, and we need to keep on fighting for the right thing. As people keep saying, 'not in Harriet's hometown.'"
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Ahhh... yet another beautifully written and inspiring article. It almost makes me wonder, again, if I'm not perhaps on the wrong side of things. What really strikes me, however, is how good and true the sign became once the word "Black" was taken away. You see, by removing that word, the sign ceases to be racist, and becomes a sign of Christ. For it now declares that Life can only really matter when each and every human life, regardless of race or social status, is held to be infinitely more valuable than any idol (idealized conception). After all, no idol can ever really take the place of God (Christ) for us, and Christ (God) is not a concept: He is a Person in Whom we must abide, in direct, face to face relationship, otherwise we do not have Him. Only He, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, can fix our evil hearts, and only if we wage a life and death battle against the evil in our own hearts can He do this. No ideology can ever do this - ideologies always bring hell on earth, violence, suffering, bloodshed, and anguish. They are anti-Christ: false saviors, often justifying murder in their name. Human lives do not matter to idols or to those who worship them. How many human lives are sacrificed to them throughout all of human history!!!
It's too bad that many people can only see racism as a viable motive for the removal of the word "Black" from their sign. Perhaps it's because they can only project the evil passion still lodged within their own hearts onto others, judging them for the vice that is really theirs but are unwilling to own and repent of, preferring rather to accuse others of it. Far better for us, as Christians, to repent and become doers of the Law of God rather than hearers only who choose to keep our evil hearts, and be judges with evil thoughts. Will we never learn that to focus upon the evil, out there in the world, serves only to empower that evil through the hatred that this produces? Rather, we must focus on Christ, whereas such a focus brings His Power into our hearts, transforming us from within by God's un-created grace into His image and likeness, through which He works holiness and justice in the world in anticipation of that "Life of the world to come". Amen.
