In The Wake Of LA Fire Destruction, 3 Faiths Worship Together | DailyGood

The First United Methodist Church on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, CA is a landmark on the Rose Parade route to which people throng every New Year’s Day. Now, it is a safe space for two other religious groups: the Islamic Center of Southern California and the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. It was already a satellite location where Islamic locals could stop in for hour-long services instead of making a 13-mile trek to the Islamic Center. Then, in January, “the Pasadena synagogue burned down in the Eaton fire leaving its Jewish congregation in need of a place to grieve and worship.” Pastor Rev. Amy Aitken said, “We are trying to cultivate an ‘island of grace’ in the midst of differences that we are told should divide us.” It takes a lot of coordination. Said Aitken, “I don’t know how to change things on the global macro level. But on this corner, I can try to create a kind of community and a house of worship that God would recognize.”



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