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Just after midnight on July 23, 2023, someone threw an incendiary device at the front door of our congregation, Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, Texas, according to fire officials. The door and foyer burst into flames.
We came together that morning to worship and to hold one another in care. We then continued to come together and hold one another as we grieved and worked to repair the damage. We accomplished a great deal: installed security cameras, hired a security guard, practiced fire and evacuation drills, learned about de-escalation techniques, got a new door, and repainted the foyer.
These were difficult times. Our hearts were broken. Many, many people reached out to us to express their care and support. These acts of kindness and compassion were deeply meaningful to us. We hung the cards of support all around the sanctuary walls, in our hallways and in our fellowship room, which we call Founders Hall. These cards came from all over the United States and beyond, extending support and reminding us that we were not alone during this tragedy.
We were held in the embrace of friends and neighbors within our faith and beyond. UUA regional staff came to be with us as we processed the trauma, our new UUA president offered support, and neighboring churches reached out to express solidarity.
Many UU churches have experienced attacks in recent years. Through our story, we lift our gratitude to all who extended support to us through these difficult times and share how much small acts of care matter in restoring our hope in goodness and love.
Creating Beauty from Ashes
As part of our recovery, we came together for a worship service to share with one another what this church means to us, what we love about this place, and why it is important to us. We placed a paper across the wall of the sanctuary on which everyone wrote or drew their answers.
A group of artists in our church came up with an idea to create an artwork—three banners using the cards we had received and the notes that people had written about what the church means to them. The project was a collaborative one, each artist contributing their ideas and working on the art banners.
The first banner is made from pieces of the cards that we received from so many near and far. They are arranged in the shape of a heart to symbolize the love and compassion that lives in this community.
The second banner represents a tree, with each leaf containing a word that was written on the wall describing gratitude for our church.
Community UU Church of Plano received a thousand paper cranes from Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The arrangement was designed and assembled by Chris Spencer from Community UU Church.
The last banner is in a shape of a chalice—to remind us of our faith that holds and sustains us through difficult times. At the bottom of the chalice are smaller chalices, cut out from the cards that we received.
While the artists were working on these banners last fall, we received a surprise package. The UU Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, sent us 1,000 origami paper cranes as a prayer and to let us know they were thinking about us. It was another joyful moment for us to be reminded that we are not alone, that the compassion of our UU faith is alive and works miracles. Our artists organized the paper cranes into a giant mobile and we hung them in our sanctuary.
More than a year after the firebombing, on the Sunday before Election Day 2024, we were ready to present all the banners. We hung them in the sanctuary next to the paper cranes and offered gratitude during the service to all who supported and held us through this difficult time. To recognize and appreciate the new items, we dedicated them to remind us of compassion that lives in our hearts. They will remind each and every person who sees these beautiful art pieces that there is goodness in the midst of heartache, and that we are not alone but held in the care of others, some of whom we have never met but are nevertheless connected to through our faith and our humanity.
Some Words Shared During the Dedication
“We dedicate these banners to all who are here and to all those in the future who will walk through these doors and see them. May the banners bless this place. May they bless each one who is touched by them, and may they connect us together with one another and with creativity, beauty, goodness, and compassion.”