About 12 years ago I read about a movement called “Polished Man” (get the whole story here – About Polished Man). At first, I read a couple of different accounts of how it came to be, and they were either incomplete or made up, which was weird. Simply put, this movement began in Australia and challenges men to paint one nail with polish – now they ask for it to be blue – so that people ask you why you have done this interesting thing. This gives you a chance to talk about violence against children (women are included now) and how men, and the way we are raised, are the overwhelming causes. We can also be part of the solution. Many domestic violence organizations used to exclude men from their work – and for good reason – but they have evolved in their understanding that all people can be allies in the cause.
So, I started to paint my nail on my left ring finger, and people asked why I did it. I told them, and some men thought it was not manly, while others began to paint their nail and become advocates and allies as well. The movement is growing and evolving, and it is just part of a larger awareness that all of us need to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. This kind of peaceful protest/awareness has a long history in the Bible. God often inspired people to speak and act to bring awareness and change. We see it all over the world; our history of battling racial segregation would not have succeeded without peaceful protest. Actions speak louder than anything else.
This is why people protest against war on the Penn Street Bridge that connects Reading, PA to W. Reading. This is why we join with Safe Berks (Safe Berks | Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Support Services) every year for their Silent Witness Walk, a gathering that remembers those who have died in our area due to domestic violence. This is why I put on my collar and stood with members of the LGBTQ community in Reading to have Conversion Therapy banned in our city. Showing up, I am told, matters more than anything else. We can say we agree – we can write a check – we can smile and nod our heads – but actions speak louder than anything else. As my wonderful religion professor, T. Canby Jones, used to say, “Atheism isn’t the opposite of faith – Apathy is.” Apathy is the black hole where all good things go to die.
All of my examples are about peaceful protests. Violent protests like the January 6th Insurrection are acts of evil, not patriotism. People who show up at Black Lives Matter protests to create havoc are cut from the same cloth as the insurrectionists. We cannot take the world back from violent, evil people if we behave just like them. Evil does not cast out evil – Love does. Peace does. It is far more difficult to protest peacefully than violently – peaceful protest and actions take maturity. Violence just needs a weapon. If you see injustice, Speak Up & Stand Up. Your actions speak louder than anything else.
Prayer – Holy God, teach us to be mature and deep in our lives so that our actions might lift people up, not tear them down. Amen.
Today’s picture is my painted nail – I go for the bling.