Provided to the QAM News
Queen Anne Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is only a few blocks from one of the most beautiful views in Seattle, Kerry Park, so you would expect when walking around the neighborhood to see lovely homes and gardens.
However, just a few weeks ago on W Lee St. and 3rd Ave., you would have looked about and suddenly seen a large barren wall with remnants of graffiti.
It struck me as an overpowering symbol of despair and lifelessness. When I walked up to the church in the fall for my interview to be the new Pastor of the congregation, it was the first thing I noticed and became one of my first areas of focus.
ABOUT THE CHURCH
A couple things to know about our church: we’re an open and affirming congregation — in other words, we’re committed to openly welcoming and affirming of all gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientations.
We house two neighborhood pre-schools, The Children’s Workshop and La Casita Feliz/The Language Link. We are host to the Independent Jewish Community Kavana, as well as bat mitzvahs and bar mitzvahs. Our space is not only for those who gather there. Hundreds of people enjoying the quiet neighborhood, with pets, friends or family walking by every day.
As a church which affirms the safety, care, and abundant love of God, it wasn’t fitting to have a huge part of our building be not welcoming. So instead of seeing this icky wall, I began to see a canvas. We could’ve just painted it a nice color to match the building, but we wanted to give light to our neighborhood and anyone who passes by; this is also why we decided to invite participation from the community.
We wanted it to be a collaboration of gifts because we are not just Queen Anne Christian Church — the 120-year-old building with some people in it — we are a part of this neighborhood’s story and this neighborhood is a part of ours.
WILDFLOWER CONNECTION
Simultaneously, we’re becoming a Green Chalice Church, which prioritizes connection of Christian faith and creation consciousness. In these efforts we’ve moved towards rewilding parts of our landscaping to care for pollinators. So, when considering the theme for our community mural, we decided a beautiful way to convey God’s abundant love was through a garden of wildflowers.
Once we had the idea, we had to figure out how to do it. None of us are artists, but we trusted that, alongside our neighbors, we would create something surprisingly lovely. We asked for donations with GoFundMe to buy paint and supplies, meeting our goal in just three days.
On July 23 after church, we offered a prayer of blessing over the mural, that it might offer light and peace to all those who create it and enjoy it.
Then, we got to painting our community mural. Church members got it started and throughout the week we had kids, people, and even some pets contribute. Folks of all ages painted flowers, butterflies, bees, spiders, lady bugs, plants, and rainbows. They painted words reminding us that we are loved, and we’re better together, words encouraging us to do all things in kindness.
Painting this mural now, knowing that the wall had been this way for over a year, knowing what this community, and our world has been through these past few years, seemed to be a fitting christening of a new season.
NEW STORY
Despite seemingly endless stories of suffering, violence, division, and crisis, we were creating a new story to share. A story filled with kindness, joy, love, connection and beauty. As Christians, we are familiar with that story — we celebrate it on Easter; it is a story from death to resurrection, burial to new life. And here it was unfolding in a seemingly small, insignificant way. As I showed up every day to work on the mural, I was reminded how transformation takes time. I saw the progress of how this once-sterile wall slowly became vibrant with colors and life. I saw neighbors and strangers connecting around painting and admiring the creativity and imagination of others. I saw appreciation and gratitude for the care and attention given to this once-dreary spot. I saw kids’ faces light up as they explored the paintings.
In life, we can get in the habit of walking by, of thinking we have nothing to offer, of not knowing where to start, of giving into the belief that things are just the way they are, so why try? But if we open ourselves to possibility, if we explore what can be, if we invite our imagination, and if we start somewhere small, we’ll be wonderfully surprised with what comes to fruition.
Through this project, I was encouraged that if we show up, and if we contribute even a little bit, something beautiful can be created from nothing. What a wonderful story to share with the folks in our beloved city.