It’s always the music that moves me the most whenever I attend a religious service.
While the words spoken at Thursday’s Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at Temple Kol Emeth were comforting and inspiring, the human voice in chanting, poetry or song is one of the more uplifting sounds there is. To hear the Muslim call to prayer in a synagogue is an incredible experience.
When many voices collaborate, the effect is sensational. The interfaith choir’s finale, “Take Down These Walls,” was absolutely stirring, following Rabbi Steven Lebow’s remarks about the diversity of faith communities represented at the service, that “this is what America looks like!”
But it was a musical number right before that, by some young people who might not have much reason to be joyful, that really delivered the message of thanks that’s fitting for this time of year.
They were teenagers living at the Center for Children and Young Adults facility in Marietta, which was the beneficiary of offering proceeds from the service. If you’re not familiar with the CCYA, it’s a place where homeless, neglected and abused young people live, and as one of their leaders pointed out, it’s not just a shelter, it’s a home.
We were asked not to photograph these young people for privacy reasons, but if you could have seen the looks on their faces as they were greeted with applause following their song, it would have brought tears to your eyes. Tears of joy, that is.
Another holiday season will soon be upon us with Thanksgiving this week, and it’s easy to mumble about seeing decorations in stores and commercials on television urging us to buy, buy, buy. Sometimes the sledgehammer comes down before Halloween.
We often become weary of the wrong kind of holiday messages, and are reminded in the media about how to cope with stress and demands on our time that don’t reflect the spirit of the season.
But imagine being 16 or even younger as the holidays approach, and there isn’t a traditional family with which to enjoy turkey and trimmings and the other familiar Thanksgiving traditions. You’re living at a place that’s certainly better than a typical shelter, but it’s not the sense of home that most of us take for granted.
The money collected by attendees at the Ecumenical service was going directly for these foodstuffs, to help these young people enjoy not only an excellent meal, but also to feel the comforts of home in as meaningful a way as possible.
In years past there were times when I would look upon the holiday season with some trepidation. The commercialism of it all still is too much, but focusing on the real meaning of Thanksgiving, thinking about and helping those in need, makes me look forward to what’s to come over the next few weeks.
The good cheer, comforting messages and fellowship on display at the synagogue this week is not only the perfect way to start the holiday season, but has year-round lasting value. Especially the music.
Happy Thanksgiving!
