Disaster Morgue Trailers, Brooklyn, NY. Photo Credit: Brendan Mcdermid / Reuters
Before U.S. Memorial Day, Naming The Lost brought together survivors, community activists, artists and faith leaders for a 24-hour reading of names to honor the COVID-19 dead. "One person shared with me that this was the first time their anger paused to mourn, and that it was liberating," reported vigil organizer Rafael Shimunov.
Eighteen years ago this past week, the post-9/11 recovery efforts were brought to a ceremonial close with an empty flag-draped stretcher carried out of Ground Zero. For the previous eight months, the human remains stored in refrigerated trucks outside the NYC medical examiner's office had been accompanied by a pluralistic rotation of more than 200 volunteers, keeping vigil around the clock.
The unnamed and unclaimed dead will need our care and attention for many, many 24 hours to come. Pausing regularly to mourn the dead can help us continue to liberate our energies more effectively on behalf of the living.
Disaster Morgue Trailers, Brooklyn, NY. Photo Credit: Loudlabs News NYC.
Share the Vigil began at midnight eight weeks ago. We are grateful to all who continue to join this honor guard for the COVID-19 dead — morning, midday, and night — across generations, time zones, and faith traditions.
“I moved from focusing on NYC...to focusing on the whole nation — drawing myself into the middle of the country to connect with all the souls I could."
"We are sitting so that all the souls who are in a liminal space now, awaiting burial, can be tended to with love and care across all time zones."
Find out more here about how you can help to honor the COVID-19 dead on a regular basis:
SHARE THE VIGIL: Frequently Asked Questions
SHARE THE VIGIL: Experiences to Date
As we move through a renewed appreciation for Memorial Day, WAYS OF PEACE also offers blessings for the convergence of spiritual turning points over recent weeks: Vesak for Buddhists, Eid al-Fitr for Muslims, Shavuot for Jews, Pentecost for Christians.
All of these festival days are sanctified by each precious day of life leading up to them. May we continue to make each day count through this global crisis.
“Share the Vigil” is a How to Mourn AND Organize initiative of WAYS OF PEACE. For more information, please visit Share the Vigil. To support or join the vigil, please write to SharetheVigil@gmail.com.
