TUKWILA, Wash. — The noise of the election season us momentarily soothed with silence as 25 faith leaders from different religions in the Seattle area came together.
"We thought, maybe we can do something. We ought to be able to do very well -- simply be quietly prayerful before God," said Father Michael Ryan of Seattle's St. James Cathedral.
The downtown church played host to the prayer service, streamed on Facebook, where no words were spoken, just music and silent contemplation.
Ryan says the quiet service was in direct contrast to the vitriolic rhetoric heard on the 2020 campaign trail in hopes to bring some community and togetherness into the moment.
"Whether we're Jews or Muslims or Christians, we have so much more than divides us," he said.
Rabbi Ruth Zlotnick from Temple Beth Am in Seattle attended the service, which happened Sunday evening.
"For me personally, it was an incredibly powerful experience of accessing that which unites us all, regardless of what our partisan biases may be," she said.
Zlotnick says she's been noticing rising anxiety among her congregation as the election draws nearer and the pandemic continues. She recently sent an email to her community talking about finding comfort and solace as they move past election season.
"No matter how anxious anyone might feel, no one is alone in this moment, and that we can come together," she said. "That's why being part of the interfaith vigil was so important to me because it was, you know, wherever you are, there's a place for you."
Being together has its challenges in a pandemic. The livestream is just one example of how faith leaders are adapting to offer comfort.
On Tuesday, Seattle's Immanuel Lutheran will be teaming up with churches in Portland for a virtual vigil on election day. Revered Priscilla Paris-Austin says the vigil will be a place on the digital plane for folks to be present together.
"There is no particular Lutheran agenda. We'll just be praying for poll workers, that every vote is taken care of and voters are protected and praying for a peaceful day and a peaceful process," said Reverend Paris-Austin.
Anyone is invited and can find information to join here. It goes from 9 a.m. to midnight Tuesday.
Zlotnick will be holding a sacred gathering on Thursday evening with her Temple Am community.
"It's a place where we are what our goal for that is to just hold our community and hold our anxiety and help one another, be inspired and comforted by our presence and to recognize, that whatever the outcome may be, our basic values don't change," she said.
At Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle's Central District, Deacon John Capps says they have been combatting anxiety was action and encouraging their congregation to vote at the end of their Sunday morning services which are streamed online.
"We want to make sure that everybody was registered and aware of issues and voted so that their voices could be heard because of how critical it is at such a time as this for everyone," said Capps. "Their voices need to be heard."
Capps says the main focus of their daily prayer line recently has been centered on preparing to vote and praying about the election.
"We're fired up and ready to go. We're fired up and ready for the election," he said.
As faith leaders create comfort and community within pandemic parameters, Ryan says he hopes that we all can find fellowship, not division, as we enter the next unwritten chapter of American history.
"We've had enough of the hostilities way too much, actually, it's time to pull together," Ryan said.