The installation of permanent outdoor lights – an expressive display of color and light that members of the Congregational Church of La Jolla hope will cultivate deeper engagement with the community – transformed into a powerful statement of solidarity with the LGBTQ community and protest against gun violence that claimed the lives of five people at a popular LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

The rainbow colors of the Pride Flag will illuminate the facade of the church’s Spanish mission-inspired facade through Sunday, Nov. 26. The inaugural light display draws inspiration from the colors of the Pride Flag, conveying the Congregational Church of La Jolla’s legacy as an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. According to Pastor Seery, a user-friendly app will offer his congregation access to three million light color combinations.

“We are a congregation choosing to be a safe space in every way: for LGBTQIA, BIPOC, the religious and non-religious alike,” Seery said. “We are a church for those who are doubters, seekers, and spiritual nomads, all while rooted in a liberal denomination with a 400-year history. We sit on unceded Kumeyaay land and our architecture reminds us of the tradition of colonization in whose shadow we stand. The beautiful light displays illuminated on our church campus will give voice to justice, welcome, and love, while inspiring our engagement with countless meaningful causes and community celebrations taking place throughout the year. “