On April 8, the one-month anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Christ Church in Plymouth hosted an ecumenical service of prayer and remembrance for all who were affected, but particularly for Shichigahama, with which Plymouth has a longstanding sister-city relationship.
Casey Meserve/ www.plymouth.patch.com
Shichigahama (which means "southern beaches") is on the coast and was close to the earthquake's epicenter; though loss of life was relatively low, about a third of the city was "wiped out," according to the Rev. David Fredrickson, Christ Church's rector.
Members of Baptist, Lutheran, Unitarian and Congregational churches joined with Episcopalians to form a congregation of about 60 for the service of psalms, prayer and song, and an offering of $430 was taken up to add to the $80,000 that Plymouth has raised for relief efforts.
"We were quick to act, doing what Americans do well, but I felt it was important for us to be in prayer as a way to be in solidarity with people who are in pain and suffering, and also to create lines of empathy that are sustainable. Reconstruction can take generations, and prayer keeps something like this in our consciousness well beyond the news headlines," Fredrickson said.
There's evidence that praying together is building bridges close to home, too, he said: churches with differing theology have invited Christ Church to take part in their Easter sunrise service.
Also for Japan: A portion of the proceeds from the April 30-May 1 Spring Fair at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill will go toward relief efforts in Japan; and St. John's Church in Jamaica Plain is hosting a benefit concert on May 6.
For updates or to contribute to Episcopal Relief and Development's work in Japan and elsewhere, go to www.er-d.org.