Churches and other places of worship here in San Diego and virtually everywhere else have been doing virtual worshiping with coronavirus restrictions on gatherings.
Things are very different.But one year ago today, things changed at many local churches and especially synagogues after the deadly shooting at the Chabad of Poway on a Saturday morning on April 27th, 2019.
A young man armed with a rifle walked into the synagogue and opened fire, killing a longtime member of the congregation and wounding the Rabbi and another man and a child.
The community was stunned and shattered.We’d all seen attacks at churches and synagogues before, but not here in San Diego.
But that day, evil came to our community. And as people from all places of worship in San Diego recovered from the shock of what had happened, it also began to change what happens at many churches and synagogues.
Security was tightened with security guards being hired, bans on bringing backpacks inside church buildings and other restrictions.
Going to church began to look a little different.
And now one year later, going to worship on weekends is very different and is like nothing any of us could have imagined.
But just like one year ago, the community came together and now in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, which has claimed more than 50-thousand lives in the U.S in just one month, we have come together again.And just like then, we will get through it.
(Photo credit Getty Images)