It’s going to be an Easter and Passover of firsts for congregations across Southern California. For the first time, a Roman Catholic Church in Riverside will invite psychiatrists onto its campus to get help for a congregation that is predominantly Latino and struggling with depression and anxiety over immigration crackdowns.
For the first time in its 25-year history, an African-American church in Irvine opened its doors on Good Friday to hold an integrated service for Latino, Caucasian and black families in Orange County. And for the first time during Passover, a synagogue in Riverside will invite a Syrian refugee and education activist to tell her story of overcoming adversity and getting her education in a Turkish migrant camp.
Faith leaders across Southern California say the Christian and Jewish holidays of Easter and Passover have taken on a special significance this year as they are observed and celebrated in a politically charged environment, against the backdrop of violence, suffering and crisis around the world.
Religious leaders say faith has historically strengthened communities and nations in times of crisis, and that the tumultuous present is no exception.
“There is a heightened sense of reflection by people now with regard to the swirling political situation around them,” said Rabbi Stewart Vogel, who leads Temple Aliyah, a conservative Jewish congregation in Woodland Hills. “It’ll be interesting to see how politics will play out around the seder table this year.”
A seder is the traditional Passover ritual where family members retell the story of how Israelites went from slavery to freedom in ancient Egypt.
“The story of Passover itself presents such an opportunity for the discussion of our values,” Vogel said. “We are so divided today as a nation and as families. We need to listen, share and empathize. Once we understand where people come from, we can understand how to walk the journey together.”
Easter is a time of reflection, but it also marks the resurrection of hope and love, said the Rev. Mark Whitlock, senior pastor of Christ Our Redeemer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Irvine.
This is a time for the church to reflect on its duties, not just to its congregants, but also to the surrounding community, said Whitlock, who also serves as executive director of USC’s Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement.
“The civil rights movement in the black community started in the church, and our denomination served as an underground railroad station for escaping slaves,” he said.
“The church mobilized marchers to stand up against bad laws, and it was the church that convinced government to reform laws that govern voting rights and housing rights.”
Whitlock believes that the first step toward social justice is to tear down racial barriers, which is why he’s inviting members of Rock Harbor, Mission Viejo, The Cloud Church in Irvine, and Emmaus Church in Santa Ana to pray with them on Good Friday. These churches are predominantly Caucasian, Latino and African-American, respectively.
“We are doing this for the first time ever, and we’re doing with the intention of getting our communities together,” Whitlock said. “Sunday is the most segregated day of the week, and we need to change that.”
A synagogue in Riverside also is making a statement by standing up for refugees.
