Young people find fervor in protests
graduate of the divinity school at Union Theological Seminary in New York, said community thrives despite such differences.
It’s about “being in those groups and feeling that energy, you know, that God wants you there,” Ruff said.
“And there’s so many people,” she added. “Whether they believe what you believe or not, that’s not what’s important. What’s important is the common goal.”
During a recent “Buddhists For Black Lives Matter” march in Los Angeles, Tahil Sharma walked with others in a slow procession whose silence had a similarly powerful effect as the ritual chanting of other demonstrations.
“The emotional swelling that we felt of every second passing as we were breathing and praying was a reminder of the seconds of air that George Floyd was gasping for,” said Sharma, a 28-year-old interfaith activist born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother.
Many demonstrations have seen protesters honoring the dead by reciting their names.
Another common element is the creation of spaces explicitly or implicitly spiritual in nature and symbolism: In Minneapolis, protesters set up a floral altar memorial at the site where Floyd died, while in Houston, a mural depicts him with an angelic halo and wings.
“People bring in pictures, flowers, they’re burning candles, incense, making music and really kind of creating a physical space where they’re holding the spirit of a loved one,” said Casper ter Kuile, author of “The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices.”
“There’s a really interesting kind of lived religion, as sociologists would call it, on the streets within these protests,” ter Kuile said.
In Milwaukee, a Muslims artists’ collective recently spent hours painting a mural depicting a family on a sofa under the words: “Our Kids Will Not Be Next,” as passing drivers honked horns in solidarity.
“Art is a perfect middle ground for people to unite,” said Amal Azzam, the 27year-old co-founder of Fanana Banana, which organized the event. “Milwaukee is a very segregated city. These are the things that help connect the communities.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Sharma, in Los Angeles, who became involved in interfaith literacy and social justice following the 2012 deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
“When I see that entire world marching with me to fight for the rights of others, I feel I am in prayer,” he said. “When we shut down systems of oppression together, acknowledging our differences for a common cause, that’s when I know my prayers are being answered.”