Communal Tragedy

Memorial wall with photos and plaques honoring Yitzhak Rabin at Tel Aviv assassination site.

As individuals, we all know pain and loss. It is the rare person who escapes sorrow. But when one of us hurts, others are there to offer comfort. Communal tragedy is different. When something bad happens to us as a community—whether that is a school, a town, a people, or a country—we struggle to figure out how to tend to our own wounds while taking care of each other. Drawing on compassion, empathy, justice, and love, we can bring out the best in each other, and perhaps, find a theology of hope in the midst of despair.

Latest Rituals

“Embers of fire Destroy their path / But carry / shattered vessels of holiness…”
Abstract red and black marbled texture with fluid patterns and swirling lines.
A new prayer for those suffering in the Los Angeles area.
Close-up of dewdrops on a soft, feather-like surface with a blurred, gradient background in blue and green hues.
“To build again with love and grace and heal this wounded, sacred space.”
Bright red blossoms on a tree branch against a clear blue sky.
“For the earth that burns, may healing rains fall swiftly.”
Close-up of green leaves with water droplets, set against a blurred background.
“Her light endures where heroes tread…”
Close-up of a lighter with a tall, bright flame against a black background.
“For more than a year now, / you’ve been with me everywhere…”
Corner of a stone building with two windows, featuring a textured, sunlit facade.
“Peace does not look like a dove / or a palm branch in the Old City…” 
A white dove flying among trees with yellow leaves in the background.
“May the One who makes peace in the heavens / Bring peace to us, to our children, / To our communities, And to this broken world.”
Two people hugging each other tightly in a room, both with eyes closed.
“Your story is not over; your life is larger than this. / We’re listening.”
three women embracing, shot from behind, two holding sprigs of babys breath
“bullets have shattered / the land of make believe…”
Close-up of a single dandelion seed head against a blurred background.

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