Have you heard of the “butterfly effect”?
I'm no physicist. (In college I barely managed to squeak through a class we jokingly called “Physics for Poets.”)
But from what I understand, the butterfly effect is a term used in chaos theory to describe how tiny variations can affect large systems.
Basically, the idea is that something as delicate as the fluttering of butterfly wings can affect wind strength and movements of weather systems, and could potentially cause tornadoes on the other side of the world.
I love the butterfly effect, because it means sometimes the tiniest acts can have an avalanche of repercussions.
The other day I heard from some folks at Pine Bluff United Methodist Church in Midland. They've been working on a project that began modestly, like those fluttering butterfly wings, but that they hope will have a larger impact.
Gene Smith and Pastor Kevin “Bird” McCormac told me about the flood buckets they've been putting together for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
In June, their bishop put out a plea for churches to put together flood buckets, as the supply had been greatly diminished due to flooding in the Midwest.
UMCOR maintains a supply of flood buckets at a warehouse in Terrell.
The five-gallon buckets are filled with bleach, sponges, dust masks, latex gloves, trash bags, insect repellent, clothesline, scouring pads, air freshener and other items needed after a flood.
They are distributed to people affected by flooding and hurricanes.
The bishop's plea came because the warehouse supply was gone and there was already a need for buckets to be distributed.
Pastor Bird, as McCormac is often called, and his congregation of about 55 responded to the call for help and set a goal of filling 30 buckets.
Virtually everyone, including children, pitched in to help. Some went shopping for items to fill the buckets, some cleaned buckets, some packed buckets, and others supported the entire effort with prayer.
Thirty buckets seemed like a good-sized goal for this little congregation, but then those butterfly wings started a breeze.
The church received an anonymous donation of $500 to purchase supplies. The buckets themselves were donated by a painting company in Asheville.
Other donations came in from the congregation. The Dollar Tree store in Albemarle helped out with the purchase of items for the bucket, and church members donated supplies as well.
Instead of meeting their 30-bucket goal, the church ended up surpassing it with 50 buckets ready to help folks in need.
This week, members from Pine Bluff will load a truck with their buckets and drive them to Terrell, where they will be immediately shipped to the Midwest to aid in disaster recovery.
Along with the housecleaning items, in each bucket the Pine Bluff church has enclosed a picture of the church with the congregation standing in front of it, and a picture of their members packing buckets.
They are also sending along their theme Bible verse for this project, I John 3:16, which explains how we ought to love one another and care for anyone in need.
As I talked with Pastor Bird and Gene Smith, I could see how excited they were about this project.
They say the church plans to pack buckets again, and they feel good knowing they are helping people in need, possibly changing their lives.
They know the value of butterfly wings and the enormous impact one impulse to help can have on an entire world.
Freelance columnist Marcia Morris (mmorris@charlotteobserver.com) lives in Georgeville.
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