Some friends and I created a space for our community to come together and say prayers. It was born out of the effects of the pandemic that began for us in March 2020. Every morning at 7:30am, for twenty minutes we gather on zoom, greet each other, listen to music to ground us, then proceed to say prayers. This space began with just a few souls, on some days only two of us were present but we persevered. Over the year, we have grown to about twenty people attending regularly and the number of those who have attended at least once is much greater. This space is a source of power and strength for me. As I reflect on my participation in our dawn prayers, I have watched my confidence grow. I have reached out into my community and sought to meet others, join associations, offer to volunteer and serve in ways that I had not previously attempted. I gave a talk on issues that I have never spoken about before and that are intensely personal and emotional to articulate. I drew on the support of this space to fortify my efforts, and it did. I have made friends with people who I did not know previously and have strengthened the bonds of unity with those I knew only on a superficial basis. This surprises me as I view our faith community as having a high degree of unity but I see how we were only scrapping the surface. I see how building unity necessitates the requirement to shed so much of the ways in which society demonstrates that we ought to interact with one another. Ways that surreptitiously seep into even the spaces with an exalted purpose as their guiding principle. This precious space we have created, offers a different example, one in which enduring bonds are established authentically. One were friendships have transcended surface relationships. The effort and time we dedicate to cultivating this environment has been key to its progress. We meet as a team weekly to consider ways in which we can open the space to others. It is heartwarming to see how others have come in at difficult times in their lives to plug into this life giving source. I have see them visibly change into bright lights and share this enthusiasm and love of life with their families and communities. We have been able to hold space for people experiencing a birth or death in a family, providing the love and solace that nurtures and soothes. I could go on... Practicing discernment today enables me to see the rich tapestry that we continue to weave, emanating from a simple, solitary act as coming together to pray.
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