Last night (Saturday), we were privileged enough to see the incomparable Bear’s Den in St Stephen’s Church at Bushstock festival. It was an amazing night; the church was packed, hundreds of people singing along or sat in awe-filled silence at the beautiful music these guys were producing.

It wasn’t until tonight (Sunday) at church after I had just prayed for the families and loved ones of the victims of the Orlando massacre and Jo Cox, that a thought occurred to me. Bear (hawh hawh) with me as this may not make sense, or may just be a load of mushy nonsense. But we’ll see. I feel like I want to add my say to the cacophony out there and hope that it may shine some light or bring some hope.

In that old church on Saturday night, there were no divides. It didn’t matter what race you were, what country you were from (there were numerous different accents), what your sexual orientation was, what religion you followed, what your political view was, what gender you were, whether you had tattoos or not, whether you drank or not, whether you had children or not, it didn’t even really matter if you were a fan of Bear’s Den or not…. That night (arguably for the whole festival, but, for me, particularly that set) we were all one. Swept away by this transcendent music, singing with strangers, cosied up to people whose names we didn’t know, sharing oxygen and smiles with humans we might never see again. That is the magic of live music and, after this week, it is a vitally important and wonderful thing.

“What unites us is far greater than what divides us”. These immortal words were first spoken by President John F. Kennedy in a 1961 address to the Canadian Parliament. Jo Cox referenced the quote in her maiden speech to the UK Parliament. How true this is, but how often we let what divides us blind us. As I said, in that packed church on Saturday night, there were no divides. We were united by music and by experience.

I’m not going to claim to know the motives of the Orlando killer or the killer of Jo Cox. But hate so often stems from fear and fear from seeing differences.

Imagine, what if we strove to see similarities rather than differences? To show empathy instead of judgement? Love instead of hate? Community instead of disunity? (Those who know the label Bear’s Den are signed to may see a clever link coming….)

At church tonight, our vicar David encouraged us to share “the peace” with each other before communion. This basically means wandering around the church hugging friends, shaking hands with others and saying “peace be with you”. David invited us to share blessings with each other in place of the curses which seem to be out in the world. Sharing love and light to prove there is not just hate and darkness. So we did. We embraced and we laughed and we shook hands.

In church we are community, different but united. In St Stephen’s Church on Saturday, we were community, different but united. The communion we share may be bread and wine, or music. (For those of you not in the know, the label is Communion).

But how are we meant to share community with people who are different to us? Who look/sound/love/act different to us? Bear’s Den have a song called Agape. Agape is the love of God/Christian love. It’s a love that is completely selfless and self-giving. Sacrificial love. You may not have ever seen that love before in a person, but Christians see that love in Jesus. So we strive to imitate him; imitate how he loves others, how he loves the broken, the downtrodden, the outcasts, the “sinners”. It’s hard, of course, because we’re not God. But we try.

Love crosses oceans. Chasms. It can cross the space between you and that person who you just don’t get because they are so different to you. Whatever love looks like to you, don’t just save it for your friends and family. Share it out. This world can be a dark, scary place. People kill other people senselessly. But if we unite around our similarities and, instead of shunning, celebrate our differences, then what colour, what light we could bring. Jesus commands it of us, but we also owe it to each other, ourselves, and future generations.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Martin Luther King, Jr.