WASHINGTON (RNS) — One block from the U.S. Capitol, at Lutheran Church of the Reformation, an interfaith crowd of D.C. community members gathered Tuesday (Jan. 6) for a night of music and remembrance five years after the Capitol riots.
They stood, hands over hearts, listening to the U.S. national anthem in Arabic. They sang along to Jewish nigun and melodized Sikh teachings. They sat in sacred silence during melodic Bahá’i prayers and waved peace signs to rap lyrics. Hosted by Faith in Peace Concerts and Faith in Public Life, the fifth annual Jan. 6 concert vigil was an exercise in interfaith connection and an effort to reclaim the day as one for harmony and peace.
Jan. 6 has also historically marked the Christian Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi to baby Jesus. David Searby, the founder of Faith in Peace Concerts and a Christian, hated to see the day become known for divisiveness and anger. In imagining the first Jan. 6 commemoration service in 2022, he believed the holiday could be a perfect catalyst for interfaith connection. He explained that the Magi, or three kings, came to Jesus from the east— where many other great faith traditions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, originated. Jesus was …
