The Holy Land?

Someday I am going to calculate the ratio of houses of worship to residents in Southside Park. We seem to have most religions covered in our small neighborhood. And someday I am going to tell you about all of them. But today I feel inspired to tell you about this one, Tenrikyo High Sacramento Church.

When we first moved here my husband told me that back in the day his band used to play in a union hall on 6th and W Streets, which is now this church.

            

Surrounded by chain link and barbed wire, I thought it was a very unwelcoming place and basically ignored it. Then one day I saw an open gate in the chain link fence and this sign so I decided to pop in.

I am so glad I did. The feeling inside the fence was the polar opposite of the vibe outside the fence.  I could not have been more welcomed. Even though they were busy with their fundraiser,

the pastor's daughter-in-law and others took them time to show me inside their church.

When I said I was curious about what was behind the curtains, they opened them for me.

After we discussed their beliefs I confessed my feelings about the fence. After I heard about the crimes and violence the pastor and her family had witnessed on their corner in the past I understood the reason for the compound look. 

Southside Park has come a long way since "back in the day." I hope they can someday feel safe enough to not be so fenced in. Corny as it sounds, our neighborhood association is working hard to make Southside Park a little holy land, as it were, where all are welcome and safe.