This has been a dark week.
To be honest, I shed a tear when I heard that Charlie Kirk had been shot. It was partly because no human being deserves that. But I also felt the dread of what was going to come next. I wasn't wrong to feel that way. The division in our country has never felt more deep. The darkness from that seemed overwhelming.
But then I ran across a video that had been posted the day before Kirk was shot. Perhaps you've seen it too.
While the performances are amazing, I suggest that you focus on the faces of the people in the crowd. One of the comments on YouTube captures my reaction perfectly: "I love flash mobs. I know it's weird, but the idea of huge amounts of people working together for zero payback except making people happy makes me emotional." Those performers not only brought joy to the people in the crowd. As I write, the video has garnered almost 7 million views in 5 days, demonstrating that people are starving for that kind of shared joy.
A few days later I ran across a couple of young men doing this on social media:
Want more? Here ya go.
These guys are "social media influencers" with hundreds of thousands of followers. But they're not just performing. I got hooked binging on T. Eian's videos and his skills aren't limited to dancing. He is a master at engaging all kinds of people - young, old, white, black, brown, etc. As with the flash mob, check out the joy they're spreading.
When it comes to music, engagement, and spreading joy, no one is better at it than Jacob Collier.
You can tell that everyone in the audience that night had a spiritual experience.
Perhaps Nelson Mandela put it best: "It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world...and at peace with myself."
I can't say that I have found peace with the world. But for right now, these performers have brought me some peace with myself. As Kamala Harris reminded us during the 2024 campaign, it's all about preserving our joy - especially as others try to ensnare us in fear/anger.
