Sunday, May 17, 2009

A chance to rebuild

I know it's just a building, but the Longfellow Park Chapel was one of the reasons I knew Boston was my home. For at least the first six months I lived in Boston, my heart was full of comfort and a general feeling of "rightness" when I entered that building every Sunday.

Far from the hub of church activity out West, chapels in this area are hard to come by. The Longfellow Park chapel was the oldest in Massachusetts, boasting a rather unusual history and design. All of that's gone now -- the roof collapsed, windows broken, and a charred brick shell a ghost of the lively activity historically housed within the walls. So many many unknowns for the members of our wards--where we'll meet, if our wards can stay together, if we'll be disbanded during the rebuilding--and the magnitude of the situation is still surreal and hard to fathom.

The fire today has destroyed the physical facade, but for hundreds of members of the Church, the Spirit of what we felt within those walls will now be spiritually housed within each of us, as a physical facility no longer exists. Maybe this is the chance for us individually to help rebuild the building that rebuilt so many of us.

LP Fire

8 comments:

Linda said...

your last line is quite thought provoking--something to ponder. much better than the boston globe!

there are so many layers of meaning and ways to consider change.

j said...

Wow! Any word on how the fire started?

Jan said...

glad no one was hurt...sad to be the end of an era for the building...sure love you. Who knows what will happen, rest assured you are in good hands!

MishMyBelle said...

This really is tragic. I am glad everyone was safe. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and pictures.

Cheri said...

That is terrible! I'm so sorry. Yikes, I'm glad you lived to tell the tale. You have a great way with words. Love YOU!

Unknown said...

thanks for this nat. i feel the need to also start "i know it is just a building"... cause sometimes i feel silly mourning as greatly as i am. i love how you put it: "rightness" i felt the same thing. and i love your collage... and no matter how many times i look at it. the picture in the center, with the flames immersed in the chapel... just seems wrong!!!

kendall said...

Ohhh nat, i'm so sad for you. I want to find out why it burned! And I hope you find a church building to meet in!!

Sylvia said...

Natalie, I stole your collage and posted it on my weblog - let me know if you want me to take it down. (I've given you full credit.)

Definitely, maybe, probaby related posts:

If NatA! posted a photo with this blog, here it is!