The day I took down my flag
A ‘One day’ story
In the book of Acts, chapter 3, verse one, it reads,
“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.”
At the temple was a beggar, and as they approached, the man believed he was going to receive something from them. Peter said they had no money, but what they had, they would give to him. And at that, he instructed him in the name of Jesus to get up and walk. He did get up and started leaping and dancing.
We can assume the man’s life changed on that ‘One day,’ although we don’t know whether the experience continued to fuel his enthusiasm. He may well, like many of us, have settled back into life.
As I dwelt on this passage over two weeks, as is the practice of our community, I found myself focusing on the words ‘One day’.
It got me thinking about ‘One days’ in my life. There are many, but the one that came to mind was the one day that I took my flag down.
It was 12th July 1987. I remember the date as it is Orangeman’s day in Northern Ireland. An Orange march had been rerouted in my town the previous year, as it went through a mainly Nationalist community. I was sixteen at the time, although from a young age I showed quite an interest in the politics of Northern Ireland. I felt my then community was under attack. I felt very emotionally attached to my community and involved myself in ‘street politics’.
A number of us were not happy that day that the local Orange Lodges had decided to parade despite the rerouting. We made our view known, which led to tension.
During July, Northern Irish Unionists tend to fly a Union Jack or Northern Ireland flag from their homes
When I returned home that night, I opened the window and took my flag down.
On that day, I realised my limit. It was an enlightening experience, although at the time I wouldn’t have recognised it as such.
I realised that people did not always mean what they said. I had heard speeches that used the word ‘Never’ many times, yet on that day, I saw a compromise. It was to take me a while later to realise that compromise was part of life, both personal and public.
It was a rude awakening, but one I am now glad occurred when it did.
It also opened my mind, although again I was not aware of it at the time, to new possibilities.
And you? Tell me about your ‘One day’?
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