There’s a small piece of land in Poulsbo, Washington, near woods that witness and fences that guard the propellant and nuclear payloads for Trident missiles. This piece of land near the fences is called Ground Zero, and it has carried its name and its significance for 39 years.
As wind blew through the trees on a Saturday in August of 2019, supporters of the Pacific Northwest Peace Pagoda gathered at Ground Zero from across the U.S. and from other nations. They came in solidarity, ceremony, prayer, and music, to a ground purification ceremony for the Pagoda. After almost four decades of effort, the possibility of the Pagoda’s construction had finally become a reality.
This week on the Compass, we bring you the sounds, the words, and the emotions from that ceremony.