Hearts are changing

Good news for modern man too often slips under the radar in our busy lives. The Sunday after Thanksgiving caught me wanting to just chill for the day, but I had promised three Iraqi graduate students at UALR that I would take them to hear the River City Men’s Chorus perform their holiday concert at Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock. My promise and remembering it was the first Sunday of Advent got me off the sofa. Although we arrived 40 minutes early, the sanctuary was packed.

I was remembering an incident in 2012 when my Iraqi guests were turned away from a public event. I prayed, hoped and wished that this day would be different.

The good news began to unfold. An usher found a line of four empty folding chairs at the ends of four pews. In the first pew, a couple squeezed together to make room for an Iraqi man and his wife, who was wearing hijab and abiya (head covering and long dress). Others smiled knowingly. After the concert, a man behind the couple shook hands with the husband, welcomed them and then excitedly told us that his son had opened his home to an Afghani man.

After the concert, the chorus members lined up outside the sanctuary where concert-goers can thank them. The singers shake our hands and thank us for coming. Maybe it is my imagination but, at times, it seemed as if they were a little more enthusiastic to shake Iraqi hands.

Hearts are changing. We are all God’s children. We all are commanded to love one another regardless of superficial differences. Each of us can do our part to reduce religious extremism if we live each day with good will toward all men.

The River City Men’s Chorus will perform again at Trinity tonight at 7 p.m. MARTIE SMITH

Little Rock