Fr. Tom’s Address at the Interfaith Youth Peace Concert

The Interfaith Peace Project was founded to be a home-based educational program on religions of the world that we might confront stereotypes, prejudices and fears in all people and do so in a way that is respectful so that people who ordinarily would never meet each other could literally come together this evening and sing together.

The Hebrew prophet, Isaiah, said “A child shall take us by the hand and shepherd us into life that never ends.” Tonight, we have a multitude of children who are taking us by the heart into a promised land of freedom and vision.  And yet, my heart breaks when I think of the violence against children that is in our world.  How easily people of power will take resources away from the neediest child.  You and I tonight, if we love the children, if we love our own children, will embrace the children of the world.  We will do advocacy for the children who are homeless, powerless and have no voice.  We cannot be content until every child in the world sings at the top of her or his lungs and takes us by the heart and shepherds us into a new world order.  Tonight we honor all of the children who have died; all of the children who have been killed.  Their blood redeems us; their blood cries out to us that we may sing this evening not simply to be entertained but to be transformed that the world might be a better place because you and I have become better people.

Let us bless the children of the world and as the song says and the children prayed, we are the children.  Let us bless one another in the name of all the children of the world.