On Monday, January 18, 2016, members of CCBR and a friend of CCBR, sang for peace, in our neighborhood, at the MLK March after-event held at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, located at 414 80th Street in Bay Ridge! Singing at an event such as this puts feet on our Mission Statement, "Children's Chorus of Bay Ridge promotes peace, friendship, and community among young people, from diverse cultures with varied backgrounds in southwest Brooklyn and beyond, through music and art!" (Read about the event here)
I've spoken previously about the power of music as an agent of change for peace. Given the climate of the nation as a whole, I feel it is ever important to keep the message held high. Here it is again:
As music transcends national, cultural, and ethnic boundaries, language, and social and economic barriers, music is a natural tool for peacebuilding. Peacebuilding with music promotes community, connects people, facilitates self-expression, reduces tension and stress, strengthens relationships, fortifies lives, broadcasts stories, amplifies unheard voices, opens the soul, invites new possibilities, advocates for social justice, provides new perspectives, bridges social divides, fosters communication, nurtures healing, and facilitates reconciliation.
Singing is a universal mechanism, inherent in our DNA, accessible to all humankind, designed to cultivate and nurture empathy, compassion, and understanding. When we sing together as community, it is profound; it is an equalizer, an agent of change.
Engaging in peacebuilding is risky. It means taking responsibility for every action and inaction, every word spoken and left unsaid. It is serious work, demanding the best of us, requiring us to do what is right and just, to love tenderly with mercy, to serve with compassion, and to walk humbly in the light of God.
Rise to the challenge: dare to be a light in the dark places of this world; dare to express a longing for peace, for healing, and for the well-being of all creation; dare to live as a citizen of God's kingdom thru your faith lens; dare to advocate against violence in all its forms -- dare to be a peacebuilder! Peace be with you.
I've spoken previously about the power of music as an agent of change for peace. Given the climate of the nation as a whole, I feel it is ever important to keep the message held high. Here it is again:
As music transcends national, cultural, and ethnic boundaries, language, and social and economic barriers, music is a natural tool for peacebuilding. Peacebuilding with music promotes community, connects people, facilitates self-expression, reduces tension and stress, strengthens relationships, fortifies lives, broadcasts stories, amplifies unheard voices, opens the soul, invites new possibilities, advocates for social justice, provides new perspectives, bridges social divides, fosters communication, nurtures healing, and facilitates reconciliation.
Singing is a universal mechanism, inherent in our DNA, accessible to all humankind, designed to cultivate and nurture empathy, compassion, and understanding. When we sing together as community, it is profound; it is an equalizer, an agent of change.
Engaging in peacebuilding is risky. It means taking responsibility for every action and inaction, every word spoken and left unsaid. It is serious work, demanding the best of us, requiring us to do what is right and just, to love tenderly with mercy, to serve with compassion, and to walk humbly in the light of God.
Rise to the challenge: dare to be a light in the dark places of this world; dare to express a longing for peace, for healing, and for the well-being of all creation; dare to live as a citizen of God's kingdom thru your faith lens; dare to advocate against violence in all its forms -- dare to be a peacebuilder! Peace be with you.
Rita Pihra-Majurinen (at right) leads the Children’s Chorus of Bay Ridge inside Salam Arabic Lutheran Church. Eagle Photo by Andy Katz
Rita Pihra-Majurinen (at right) leads the Children’s Chorus of Bay Ridge inside Salam Arabic Lutheran Church. Eagle Photo by Andy Katz
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