Several hundred community devotees pulled open First United Methodist church doors on Sunday evening, 17 December, 2023. Their coming at the appointed time and place was to celebrate belonging and acceptance, to find strength in shared humanity, to rise above differences, and to “touch hearts and inspire change.” All such hopes brought an array of young and not so young folks from home doors to church ones to participate in Pocatello’s winter Love Grows Here concert.

Opening remarks were provided by Kim Jackman and Lou Engelhardt. Attendees were invited to “become fully present” and were thanked for their presences which were referred to as gifts of grace. Jackman and Engelhardt pled for peace, reminding us that our diversity yields “our shared tapestry,” because we are “members of the same human family.”

Participants of all ages from sundry differing faith groups performed. The multifaith contributions, as varied as they were beautiful, inspired goodwill and highlighted the brotherhood of man.

An interfaith Celtic Group kicked off the concert with lovely pentatonic scale tones. The sounds and lyrics of three pieces offered both soothing and buoyant wordless messages to the attentive audience.

“Nothing More,” sung by members of First United Methodist, reminded us that “we are how we treat each other when the day is done. We are peace. We are war. We are how we treat each other and nothing more…”

Jim Mariani of Portneuf Sangha led the listeners in an OM Chant. Persons were invited to “lose [themselves] in the chant.” Many closed their eyes and in a few minutes of meditative mindfulness, connected with one another as they found “solace in strength.”

“If we want a garden,” sang Lanna Gribas and Elle Mann of Grace Lutheran and United Methodist, “we’re gonna have to sow the seed, plant a little happiness, let the roots run deep. If it’s love that we give, then it’s love that we reap. If we want a garden, we’re gonna have to sow the seed…”

Lots of love seeds were planted at this inclusive interfaith concert. It will be exciting to see the emerging plants and forthcoming harvest in 2024.

High school student, Jocelyn Dye of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, impressed her listeners with a remarkable piano Christmas melody while Whitney and Kowen Manwaring and pianist, Ginette Manwaring, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered an adorable adult-child delivery of He is the Gift which brought approving applause. Also of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were Paige Snyder and accompanist Lisa Baker who perfectly presented Angels We Have Heard on High.

Originally hailing from Bangladesh, Farjana Eishita of the Muslim community contributed to the evening’s message with a heartfelt keyboard/vocal presentation, In the Realm of Joy and Compassion, Reign in Truthful Glory. The translated, printed Bengali lyrics included this message: “…Affection, love, kindness and devotion serve to make gentle the soul…”

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church members, Elizabeth Dyer and Janet Shipman, gifted those present with a tender rendering of Pastorale. Mary, Did You Know was a moving addition, beautifully sung in Spanish by April Perez with flawless accompaniment by Amy Parrish. Piano and cello players, Sue Akersten and Holly Bambolo, faultlessly delivered Ave Maria. Pachelbel’s Canon in D, a multifaith piano duet by David Parry and Gerald Hughes, was likewise peaceable.

Child and adult soloists riveted the attention of onlookers as they shared messages. Michael LeBeau, accompanied by Paul Bodily, sang “…I’m all grown up now and still need help somehow…So here’s my…grown up Christmas list — not for myself but for a world in need: no more lives torn apart, that wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts, and everyone would have a friend, and right would always win, and love would never end…” Young Sienna Bodily bravely stood and shared the lyrics of Where Are You Christmas: “…Christmas is here if you care, oh. If there is love in your heart and your mind, you will feel like Christmas all the time…”

Others of the Bodily family also contributed — much to the blessing of those present. Paul Bodily of the Pocatello Unitarian Universalist Fellowship focused on potential possibilities with the message of Imagine: “Imagine all the people livin’ life in peace…Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world…You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.”

That’s a really great thing to imagine and an even greater thing for which to work.

Austin Bodily and a children’s quartet delivered a soul stirring reminder with Christmastime is Here: “Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year.”

Those who offered time and talent at the December performance and the many who showed up to offer support are among countless committed community members who seek to keep and demonstrate “such spirit” this Christmas and beyond.

The Pagan Community contributed with a played portion of Oh Tannenbaum: “…O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree, how loyal are your branches. You’re green not only in the summertime. No, also in winter when it snows…You can please me very much!...”

A sobering song, Where Have all the Flowers Gone, sung by veteran Larry Engelhardt, reminded us that war has a horrible price, and even Mother Nature’s flowers find themselves plucked and placed on graves at such sorrowful times.

Surely the peaceable imploration of the evening’s beginning was well stated.

Peace, goodwill, and brotherhood were prominent themes that rang throughout the entirety of the concert. Rabbi Sara Goodman, Pastor Mike Conner, and Farjana Eishita concluded the evening with a trio musical delivery centered on peace. In Arabic: “May peace be upon you,” in Hebrew traditional: “Grant peace, goodness and blessing, and in Latin traditional: “Grant us peace.”

Peace. It is a great thing for which our little community strives. So many people from so many differing faith groups are zealously and diligently working for that goal. It’s glorious.

Pastor Mike Conner, who did so much in way of successful execution of the evening’s events, thanked the kids “for being awesome” and thanked all who participated.

In concluding remarks, Rabbi Goodman told of a Jewish fable that portrayed God conversing with his angels about where to place the light of his essence down here on planet earth. After some discussion, deliberation, and potential places for delivery, God smashed it so it flew into the hearts and souls of everyone. Then God said, “Now they (humans) will never find it.” After a little audience light hearted laughter, Rabbi Goodman declared, “Tonight we found and gifted it to [each other], the angels, and to God…”

Love grew at Pocatello’s winter concert.

And one really cool evidence of that? The evening’s collected donations for Aid for Friends was a huge, heaping pile of needful gifts — kindly given from the best of hearts.

For sure, it was a winter concert to be remembered.