"One Love Manchester"

   This was always going to be a concert for the youngsters in terms of the bands but what a great start with Marcus Mumford introducing a 'moments silence' for those effected by the recent 'terror' attacks and then singing "Timshel" which is moving song that fitted the reflection and celebration that is a concert to follow such horror!! Love drives out fear indeed... "We're still singing our songs" was great too from Robbie Williams leading the crowd...
   In Oz our media coverage today has also included the cover by Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over."
   I love music... for lots of reasons... including it's capacity to transport you in time and place and in things like this concert to assert that although people are dented, they're not broken... although there's fear, ongoing violence and a world in turmoil, people want to say that someone bringing a bomb into the foyer of a concert is 'madness'...
   At some time we will have to come to grips with the fact that US foreign policy, and the coalition of the willing, oil and military action in the middle east are yielding an extreme response that whilst never justifying terrorism, is contributing to the anger that creates it!!
   The loss of life in these attacks that will go on, needs to be rested with love in communities that pull together, with celebrations of life and also with ways of helping people work through the aftermath... the concert can't bring anyone back but it can contribute to the healing of emotional wounds!!

Postscript:
The way the artists and songs unfolded in the concert provided a pretty solid journey through grief, an array of feelings and on into love, hope and celebration, even determination to hold to something bigger and worthy of celebration!! Space to grieve, to move and to express something bigger... but also room to just be or to not be able to move...

AND here regarding money raised for the RED  CROSS