Yesterday I attended my favorite annual interfaith Thanksgiving service: where Muslims, Jews, and Christians in my neighborhood come together every year to give thanks to God and to celebrate the beauty of our diversity and our unity that comes in the teachings of all our faith traditions: that we are to shine God’s love to others, share our abundance with those in need, and work for peace and justice.

I was in tears so many times: As we joined together in song. In prayer. In reading and reflecting upon our beloved scriptures. In offering up food and money to those in our community who are hungry, cold, and hurting. In not only giving thanks to God for our blessings, but also praying that God would help us share our blessings with others in dire need – particularly our Syrian brothers and sisters (and all other refugees throughout the world) who are desperately fleeing war and violence.

I wish that more people in our city and throughout our country could have the opportunities I have to experience God’s love in this way – through a powerful and beautiful multi-faith and multi-ethnic community like this one.

And I wish that more people could have heard the children and youth who preached to us through song yesterday – especially as we find ourselves at a time when the world really needs to hear them:

Some of the Muslim children and youth preached when they sang a song that included faith expressions from Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism – reminding us that it is beautiful when we let our faith lead us in caring for one another and in joining together as one human family.

Some of the Methodist children and youth preached to us when they sang: “No matter what you say, no matter what you think: I am a child of God. No matter what they say, no matter what they think, you are a child of God.”

And some of the Catholic children and youth preached when they sang to us:

“Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Crying Jesus, help me
To see the morning light-of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands.

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears I know you’re near,
Bringing peace again.

Can you hear the prayer of the children?”

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May we listen. May we see. May we weep. May we respond. May we welcome. May we embrace. May we love.

May we hear the prayer of the children. ALL the children.