Like many Angelenos, my family and I watched the news on the night of Tuesday, Jan. 7, in utter disbelief and sadness as our city was engulfed by various brush fires that burned throughout the city. Pacific Palisades and Pasadena were both communities that I had personal connections to. Many of my core childhood and adolescence memories took place in these regions. Friends and family had lived in these communities for decades. Now, many of them have lost their homes and livelihoods.
On the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 8, my brother and I got ready to volunteer with the Red Cross at the Pasadena Convention Center. The convention center is serving as a temporary shelter for displaced individuals and families from the Pasadena/Altadena communities.
As we arrived, we were taken back by the number of volunteers, many of them younger than myself, who were performing all sorts of tasks including food preparation, bed set-up, elderly assistance and medical assistance. We witnessed first-hand how community members from across the Los Angeles region responded to the call to serve others in this time of need.
The Church was one of those institutions that responded to the call.
Just outside the Convention Center stood a food truck managed and operated by Franscian Friars and students from St. Francis High School from neighboring La Cañada. The food truck served fresh hot meals for displaced individuals and first responders.
Additionally, many churches throughout the LA area have opened up their doors and have served as shelters for those in need of food, water and shelter. One of the first to do so was All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA. All Saints Church is a Pasadena staple that has a 100-plus year history of social action, pastoral care and community building. In response to the fires, the church has provided temporary shelter and meals for about 180 people.
“In moments like this, I think the yearning of hearts to do is to respond, and what we’ve tried to do is to leverage our privilege, to leverage our facility, to leverage our staff and our volunteers to meet the immediate needs of members of the community. For us, what that meant was opening up our space as a place of respite and transition,” stated Reverend Susan Russell, associate priest at All Saints church.
Rev. Russell knew that the Christian call was to step into the moments of crisis and ask, ‘What would Jesus do?’
“For us that was, meet our neighbors where they are, give them what they need, and then let them know that that’s a sign and symbol of God’s love for them,” Rev. Russell said.
As I walked around and observed the hospitality and care at All Saints church, I thought about two key verses in Scripture, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” I left the presence of God working in that room and soon realized that I was witnessing love.
As Christians, we often forget that our true calling goes beyond worship songs and Bible merch. At its core, to be a Christian is to love God and neighbor above ourselves. We are always called to lend a helping hand to those in need. But, in moments of unprecedented devastation and loss, it is the utmost responsibility of the Christian community to serve on the frontlines. Although we are all called to offer thoughts and prayers, many are also called to directly minister through actions and deeds.
If you would like to directly support those affected by the fires, please consider serving as a volunteer at a shelter or donating to a certified support fund.
Click here to learn how you can help.
