Religion Corner
Piedmont Post
July 26, 2006
by Rev. Lois Mueller

If you’ve driven by my church on Oakland Ave. since April 13th, you’ve probably noticed the crosses around our property.  The crosses are a confusing, disturbing symbol to some.  Neighbors have complained that our church looks like a graveyard and have asked when we’re going to take them down.  People couldn’t read the original flimsy paper sign in our glass case and speculated that the crosses had something to do with the war or AIDS.  Actually, the crosses are in memory of those who have died violently in Oakland in 2006. 

We were inspired by Fr. Jayson Lanzeda of St. Columba’s Catholic Church on San Pablo where they’ve had a similar display for several years now.  Their crosses are made, painted and blessed by youth groups from Moraga and Orinda.  We thought that a “hills” church whose neighborhood isn’t as directly impacted by the violence should also acknowledge Oakland’s escalating homicide rate, mourn the deaths, and pray for the families. 

The crosses are to remind us that we are one community.  We may not hear guns fired at night.  We may be able to walk along Piedmont Ave. without fear.  We may not worry whether our children will be caught in cross fire.  But we are all affected by the hopelessness, despair and culture of violence that leads to further violence and fractured families and communities.  Putting up the crosses was one imperfect way we could say, “We are One City.”

Not too long after the crosses were up, someone knocked most of them down – an insignificant act of hate compared to what the crosses symbolize.  Our symbolic act became even more confusing with crosses on the ground, crosses against the church building and other crosses left standing.  We’re also confused because we wonder if crosses are a good symbol when we don’t know if the victims were Christian.  Is this Christian imperialism once again?  The climate of confusion continues because we still haven’t erected a good sign while we determine whether to continue this visible witness.

The crosses will soon fade into the landscape if they haven’t already, but how do we continue to remind ourselves that what happens to people a few miles away concerns us, too?  How do we continue to remind ourselves that what happens to people a half a world away concerns us, too?  It’s so easy to distract ourselves when we can’t solve the problems of our community or our world.  It’s easy to simply turn away, but Rev. Jim Hopkins of Lakeshore Ave. Baptist Church taught me many years ago that we, who are people of faith, are called to bear witness to suffering even when we don’t have the answers, even when we’re confused and uncertain.  So our confusion may continue, but we won’t let ourselves forget.