The 2018 song “A Reminder” by Trever Hall has been on repeat during my Uber driving sessions. “My love is just a reminder, find your center” begins the chorus. It’s a reminder that even the deepest love from another person is simply a call for us to connect with our own center. No amount of love, even from a beloved, will make up for a disconnection from our own individual, inherent worth and dignity.

Attending the April 5th protest in Pack Square, and organizing a sign making party the night before in our own 23 Edwin, I was musing on this lyric. We are living through a moment that feels unreal for many of the people I talk through. Still recovering from a devastating natural disaster, brought on by years of inaction on climate change, we are now trying to weather fully man-made disasters daily as many of the basic agreements that have held our country together across decades of shifts in leadership between political parties are being dismantled in rapid succession.

Each sign, each protest is a great act of love for our country. We had something like 7,500 acts of love this past weekend as we filled the heart of our city demanding a different approach from our leadership. I think a lot of people, as I did, walked away feeling hopeful in a way we have not in several months. But I think I am also not alone in walking away in awe of the work that is before us.

No, even the best, most sustained protest will not heal the heart of our country. I believe that it is of vital importance that we remember that protests, as large and loud and lovely as they are, still are just a reminder. While no act of love is wasted (and I truly believe that) no perfectly organized sunny Saturday rally is going to affect the change we so desperately need to center civility, compassion and character at the heart of this country. The soul of this nation is centered in the daily relationships we cultivate, in the energy we invest in our communities, in the sustained organizing work that occurs in the walls of our congregation and beyond. 

I left Saturday’s protest feeling more ready to do that work and I hope that you feel the same.

With love,

T Kay Browning

Ministerial Intern