“Come, Come, Whoever you are Ours is not a caravan of despair Come, Come, Whoever you are This caravan has no despair. Even though you have broken your vow perhaps ten thousand times Yet come again, come again, whoever you are whoever you are, come Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving, come Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving”
These words by the 13th century poet Jalaluddin Rumi formed the opening to an event at Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney under the banner of ‘In the Service of Peace’. The event was an interfaith gathering in response to events being witnessed in the middle east and elsewhere and was hosted by Dr Stephanie Dowrick who is well known as an author, publisher and psychotherapist and who is also an interfaith minister.
Addressing those gathered in the church, Stephanie Dowrick spoke of the challenges facing humanity at this point in time. The response to these challenges requires courage and the support of community, and what can enable these qualities to thrive is joy. So, the event was a celebration of the joy to be found in poetry and music.
Poetry included the reciting of works by Sufi poets such as Rumi, a 13th century Persian mystic whose words resonate with timeless authenticity. Music formed a backdrop but also came to the fore with a performance of a guitar piece from 9th century Moorish Spain. A pair of soprano voices rang through the church and came together to bring the event towards a close performing the Flower Duet from Lakme by Delibes.
It was an altogether uplifting event and a source of joy and inspiration. Stepping out onto the noise and busy-ness of Pitt Street I somehow felt a little lighter, and my step was imbued with a sense of hope.
People for Peace
A week later I attended another event at Pitt St Uniting Church. This time the event was hosted by Standing Together Sydney and brought together speakers, musicians and community members to promote peace in a region that is currently riven by violence.
The ‘Standing Together’ movement is a grassroots movement based in Israel that seeks to bring about peace, equality, social and climate justice for Palestinians, Israelis, Jews and Arabs.
Speakers came from different backgrounds and faiths including Israel, Lebanon, Hindu and Moslem. Once again, music played an important part of the event. In the midst of conflict, music is seen as a way of bringing people together and the performances were beautiful and exceptionally moving. From an Arab lullaby to songs written and performed in response to genocide and war they both soothed and inspired a sense of deep respect for those facing the horrors of war.
A young Israeli man spoke of hope, but not just hope…hope that is accompanied by courage and the resolve to bring about lasting peace. And peace is not just the absence of war but the flourishing of culture and joy.
And once again, after being inspired by the stories shared and experiencing the joy of music, as I stepped out of the church, I too was able to feel a sense of hope.