While construction at 450 North Prince Street has been paused for the past month due to restrictions resulting from the spread of COVID-19, the need for the hospitality center is, perhaps, more apparent than ever. For most of us, the changes of the last six weeks have led us into a time of forced isolation. We have been cut off from our friends and neighbors, our typical daily activities have slowed, and our traditions altered or left entirely undone. Many of us would describe this experience as disorienting, lonely, sometimes hopeless. And this is not normal for us.
However, many of our brothers and sisters in this community experience isolation as part of their daily lives. Resettled refugees have been separated from their home, families, and neighbors. Those with a lack of connections or education may have a harder time finding employment which can cause feelings of hopelessness. Health issues and difficult family relationships can lead to being cut off from the outside world.
We were not designed to live lives of isolation. God recognized this almost immediately after creating Adam. Adam was alone, and he could not flourish alone. So God established a new relationship.
We do not flourish in isolation, but are created for community, and community is the central focus of the hospitality center at 450 North Prince Street. Once the space is completed and ready for use, building community will look like: food being prepared, served, and enjoyed around tables; worship being sung and spoken in groups large and small; walls of division coming down through training sessions and language classes; relationships being built through discipleship and dialogue over coffee; beauty displayed and talent affirmed through art and music.
The day will come when these things are realized and we are grateful for your participation and partnership. And until that day, let's all be builders of community in our own families, neighborhoods, and churches.
