Pasadena Church Announces Candlelight Vigil for Peace Amid Israel-Gaza conflict

The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena plans to hold a candlelight vigil for peace on Monday, Oct.16, starting at 6:30 p.m., to express sympathy for the families from both sides of the conflict who have been impacted by the violence in Israel and Gaza.

The event is open to anyone who would like “a tender space” to grieve, pray or find solace with others in this complex time.

The vigil will take place on the church’s labyrinth, a circular path used for meditation and reflection. The participants will light candles and focus on contemplation and holding space for grief as they pray for peace.

Rev. Dr. Omega S. Burckhardt, Senior Minister of the church, said with many people grappling with the devastating events unfolding in the Middle East, it’s important for the community to pray for peace and have some time together to contemplate and hold space for grief.

“Even as we may hold complex and contradictory feelings about how these events have come to pass, we mourn the suffering of our distant siblings, and we mourn that peace seems so far away,” Burckhardt said. “May we not turn away from the suffering of others, but may we also turn towards nurturing ourselves and our communities with justice centered in love.”

The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church is a liberal religious community that welcomes people of diverse beliefs, backgrounds and identities. The church’s mission is to create and grow an inclusive and compassionate community that seeks justice and respects the interdependent web of all existence. 

Last week, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, of which the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church is a member, sent out a message for the Unitarian Universalist community praying for the people of Israel and Palestine. 

“I pray for leaders around the globe who must respond to this latest flare of violence and the untenable ethical considerations that abound,” Dr. Betancourt wrote. “I pray for Muslim and Jewish UUs who experience the impact of this long strife acutely. I pray that those of us less likely to know the trauma of unending brutality and harm will not turn away from generational loss, from the devastating realities and their root causes, or from the relentless tragedy of war and occupation. Be gentle with yourselves when you need to be, but do not turn away unless you must. We are one global family living tenuously on the same human-impacted Earth. Let us center ourselves in justice as we call for peace.”

For more information the Pasadena congregation, visit www.neighborhooduu.org or call (626) 449-3470.