A response regarding the recent concert Together in the City of Angels launching the newly established Southern California Muslim-Jewish Forum.
“The uplifting joy and brotherhood was contagious. Side by side people from the these two beautiful religions sang, danced, recited spoken word, rapped, told stories and prayed. I witnessed the realized possibility of love and peace.
How extraordinary that there are so many similarities in these neighboring faiths. There wasn’t “us” and “them”. There was only “we”. Someone spoke and said; “ We must move beyond tolerance, to love and respect for one another.” “If we can’t create this in Los Angeles, how can we expect to create it anywhere else in the world?”
Create it we did! It was exhilarating! I saw such beauty in those I was raised to hate and fear. They became my family and I wanted to embrace them all.
This is possible. We can shift our prejudices and envelop a caring love for one another. We can make this work. We can raise our children to embrace instead of hate. To work together, to compromise, to share…..and to trust one another. I saw it happen. For this brief moment in time and it was perfect.
I feel so blessed to have been a part of this long overdue change. “Imagine all the people…..living life in peace….” – Lisa Harrison Walmsley