A commitment to social justice
Posted on December 10, 2019
One of the things I like most about my church, Trinity United Methodist Church in Springfield, is our shared commitment to social justice. For the past two years, the church has hosted an event called “Arm in Arm: United Against Gun Violence.” Poets, musicians, dancers, and visual artists put together a concert to raise money for organizations that focus on decreasing gun violence. Last year’s concert raised approximately $1,700, which was dispersed to The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, The Carol Rivest Memorial Foundation and Every Town for Gun Safety Action.
Personally, for me, an important part of participating in this event is that my whole family gets involved. My sister and her husband read out loud to the congregation a poem they wrote. My mother, a pianist, accompanied by several other musicians and singers perform on stage. And I create a display that is several hundreds of feet of strips of t-shirts, tied end-to-end, that spans several times the length of the sanctuary. The t-shirts are donated by members of the church as a symbolic representation that these t-shirts could have been worn by both victims and perpetrators of gun violence.
Another touching part of the event is a prayer walk installed on the front lawn. Prayer flags with the names of local victims of gun violence and the locations of mass shooting tragedies are hung in a path in the shape of a cross. They are lit by luminaries and the atmosphere is solemn and moving.
-Nicole B.
Comments are currently closed.