Over the course of the pandemic, the building where Plymouth Church meets stood as a witness for who we are. Though we were meeting virtually as the church, our banners and building represented our choice to remain a vital presence and progressive, faithful voice in Seattle.
Like other buildings in downtown Seattle, there was an impact to our church facility over the course of the pandemic. One example is that both of our signs facing 6th Avenue were vandalized. The glass was broken, and for many months, the fragments seemed to tell the story that the boards were symbolic of Plymouth. For sure, the shards of glass that remained at the edges were dangerous for any passers-by that may have placed a hand there. However, the empty places left by the damage invited a creative and faithful response.
Certainly, we could have replaced the glass, and continued to do so each time it is broken. However, I was inspired when a woman experiencing homelessness came into the building and asked how Plymouth church helps when someone asks for food or other resources. Our encounter and the spirit prompted the pastoral team to offer tangible love and solidarity.
Today, the former signs are small pantries for the community. Several times a week, the pantries are filled with food, hand warmers and other items, and as the days become darker faster and colder, the pantries provide an outward display of compassion and solidarity with those experiencing homelessness and under-resourced. In addition to the small bags of resources several of you put together, we now how an outreach tool which offers touches of love from all of us to our neighbors.
Each of you are invited to support this ministry! We are a people of justice, ones who believe that the world can transform through our choice to follow the spirit through radical inclusion and acts of faith. When you pass the pantries, feel free to add bottled water, protein bars, or even notes that remind the reader that they are beloved. -Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown