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

“Be strong and courageous, and I will be with you”

Silhouette of two hikers on a mountain, one helping the other against a backdrop of jagged peaks.

“Stand for Love / Start right now”

A large crowd holds lit candles at night, with a prominent candle holder in the foreground.

“We understand that Black lives are sacred”

A hand lighting small candles with a match in a dimly lit setting.

“Who shall die while begging for their life, their breath”

Person with braided hair in a bun, wearing glasses and a white shawl, seen from behind in a crowd.

“Protest is a sacred act”

A group of people at a protest, focusing on a person with curly hair holding a sign, wearing hoop earrings.

“We must speak the names, we must speak out”

A diverse group of people protest on a street, raising fists and holding signs.

“Teach us again the lessons of love”

Woman sitting on a rock, meditating in a lush, green hilly landscape with scattered trees.

“I cry out to You”

A person sitting and clasping their hands on their lap, with a blurred background. Black and white image.

“Do not let his death fade without meaning”

Protesters march with signs; one reads We Are Better Than This! Trees and a road are visible in the background.

A prayer for justice in rmemory of George Floyd

Protesters holding Black Lives Matter and We Cant Breathe signs, facing police officers in a city street at night.

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