Where Joy is Possible…
By Rev. Sandra Olewine
The Songs of Freedom Festival which Dar Annadwa hosted in July was a
wonderful event. At all four concerts, people experienced the new auditorium in
all its glory, amazed by the quality of music, sound and lights. Each evening
following the performances, numerous people would express that they couldn’t
believe such a thing was possible in Bethlehem; they felt as if they were at a
theater somewhere in Europe or America. By the last night, people were
disappointed the Festival was over, eagerly asking whether we had another
concert later in the week or in the coming days. Certainly, the longing for such
events in Bethlehem was underscored.
The most powerful experience for me, however, was during the last night.
Quilapayun, the Chilean group, mesmerized the audience with their voices and
instruments. Their music filled Ad-Dar with energy and excitement. The audience
responded in kind, clapping and moving to the alluring rhythms and sounds. It
was a packed house and the auditorium seemed to almost vibrate with enthusiasm.
At one point in the concert, following a particularly moving song, the crowd
sprung out of their seats, clapping, cheering, and whistling. The sound and
vitality was tremendous. I had to walk away as tears came to my eyes, because I
was overcome with what I was hearing – it was a sound long missing from the
lives of those in Bethlehem. It was the sound of pure joy.
Some might say it was a sound created by people able to forget for just a moment
the harsh reality in which they live. But, for me, it meant the opposite. The
sound symbolized for me the power of life in people despite a harsh reality. It
proclaimed that all that is beautiful and creative in the Palestinian human
spirit has not been crushed. It shouted out to those who could hear that the
people gathered this night were not driven to their knees in surrender or
humiliation. It was the theme of the Festival - Songs of Freedom – brought to
life.
As I walked down the hall, wiping the tears from my face, I thought to myself,
“where joy is possible, hope is still alive.” In Ad-Dar that night, we shared in
the freedom that comes when oppressive powers are denied their claim on the
human spirit. It is out of such freedom that liberation, justice and healing
grow. Maybe the greatest gift of the Festival was not the discovery of the new
hall or the great sound system but rather that joy came to life again.