Charlottesville

As many of you know, we've been living in Suz's hometown of Charlottesville for the last four years. August was a dark month here. But the response in our community and around the country has reminded us that there is so much light and love out in the world. If anything, it has renewed our focus on making music, building community through art, and seeking a transcendent experience of beauty and truth. Suz recently wrote about our experience that weekend:

"On Saturday, August 12, we were in a beautiful studio in LA recording a song about love and patience. Throughout the day, we were getting a constant stream of texts from family back home and trying to follow the news of the horrendous events taking place just down the street from our house.

Saturday was an intense day for us, trying to be present with our children, maintaining focus during a 10-hour recording session, and keeping an open heart for the music we were creating. Simultaneously we were wishing we could be holding hands with friends and family at home.

On Sunday we flew home from LA. My dad picked us up and drove us straight to the place where Heather Heyer was killed. She, along with so many friends and neighbors of ours were peacefully demonstrating against the armed groups who invaded our town with their violent acts of hate this weekend. My dad runs the kitchen at a homeless shelter across the street from Emancipation Park. By 11am the aggression and threat of violence caused him to exit out the back door and head home for safety. He had been at the prayer service the night before and couldn't leave because of the mob of torch-bearing, armed men surrounding the church. On Sunday afternoon we witnessed tearful friends and community members bringing flowers, praying and being present at this site where so many were injured standing up for love."

We have no doubt that the forces of love are stronger than the forces of hate, but Charlottesville reminds us that we can't just passively hope that everything will work out okay, especially when the forces of hate are emboldened. We have to be actively engaged in building community and countering with love and peace.