A gorgeous bright light in St. Louis

a concert that modeled coming together in beautiful diversity

The May 16th tornado here created a swath of unimaginable damage. Historic Forest Park lost 3000 trees, the landscape forever changed, a deep sense of loss of these magnificent natural beings.

As the path shifted, the tornado hit north St. Louis, an historic black community about which I am just learning. There is over 1 billion dollars of damage, destroyed homes, severely damaged churches, and many displaced residents.

The greater St Louis community has turned out in magnificent ways, truly stepping up to fill immediate needs of labor and supplies of every kind, from tents to cans of food to diapers and thousands of dollars in monetary gifs from those who cannot help physically.

Yesterday, my daughter and I attended a concert that I asked be my birthday gift from her when she asked what I wanted. I love that her gift to me was part of the over $200,000 raised on behalf of the tornado victims.

The St. Louis Symphony and chorus, plus the IN UNISON chorus, an ensemble that showcases work of the African diaspora - 150 musicians strong - gave freely of their time for the support of the tornado victims, some of whom were performing having suffered significant losses in the storm.

BeBe Winans, a Gospel singer who raised the roof with his singing, was the guest artist.

The concert admission price was donation of any amount, no high cost tickets. The musicians donated their time. The Fabulous Fox Theater donated the venue and any and all costs associated with hosting the event.

And many behind the scenes contributors to the logistics of event.

The theater is stunning. It holds 4500 people and almost the entire main floor was filled to capacity – hundreds who came on behalf of their city and the commitment to the work ahead.

The energy was electric and for all the symphony concerts I have been to in my life, it was like a thread of unity wound through every row from front to back, joyously felt.

No one, unless who you came with, no one knew who in the hundreds of people there was of what political party or economic status, gender, sexual orientation, religion or faith, college degree and profession, or any other category we allow to divide and rank us.

This was an audience that for that hour and a half modeled what we can be to one another in this time in our country. Working together no matter what and contributing to, serving those who are our neighbors, regardless of how alike or how different.

The husband of one of the women who lost her life in the tornado when part of a church collapsed was in the bass section of the IN UNISON choral group, singing while mourning.

How do we sing while we mourn?

How do we come together regardless of all that divides on behalf of those who desperately need us right now?

How do we weave a thread of hope and joy and commitment to sustained participation in creating a world that is for all, serving the least of these?

Rehearsals for this one concert took hours of selfless, volunteered time. It was work. People gave up vacation time to participate.

We can do this together. We can do the work that is filled with healing and joy if we make the choice. It is a choice.

I write this for myself, most of all, as a reminder that it is time to up my participation and that if my voice adds to another voice that adds to another voice, we can make differences that change the trajectory of a path headed to loss to a path that sustains and builds.

I hope we'll create a contagion effect even in discomfort and risk and perhaps even bearing cracks in relationships. It if saves lives and programs people depend on for food and health services I am in.

Yesterday I witnessed a beautiful modeling of how this is absolutely possible.