Video of the Week-Biden Acknowledges Genocide of Armenians

 Today, Friday, April 23, 2021, we recognize the importance of keeping on track of the notable developments in our society including politics and culture. These are the latest political news, art and culture events of the week by category that are impacting our nation.

Below is a video of President Biden acknowledging the atrocity against  Armenians that amounted to genocide. This marks the first time that this event involving ‘mass killings’ had ever been formally acknowledged by any other President in our nation’s history. To watch the video click the View Web Version at the bottom of  this page.

This acknowledgment is perhaps more timely than we know in light of atrocities that are currently taking place in Myanmar and other hot spots of war, civil unrest and political upheaval. There have been  public outcries concerning killing sprees that are not being monitored sufficiently by local or National authorities nor intervened into pursuant to United Nations policies or protocols, particularly in Myanmar. 

Let us keep those regions and the leadership entities responsible for protecting human lives and human rights through monitoring and peace keeping missions lifted in prayer.

Jonathan McReynolds, Doe Jones, Join Chandler Moore of Maverick City in Breathe

Edited Sunday, April 25,2021

 “Let Everything that has breath, praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6 is a  very powerful scripture, one that makes up a significant lyric of this Holy Spirit filled song that inspires praise in the crucial everyday blessings like breathing, inhaling fresh air into our lungs that quite frankly we often overlook and take for granted. Without God’s gift of air and breath we could not sustain life nor could we lift up and sing praises.

“It’s a miracle that we can breathe” the group sings led by the powerful vocals of Jonathan McReynolds and Chandler Moore. But now that we are fighting a global pandemic, a virus that attacks the respiratory system, particularly the lungs as many who fall ill and subsequently hospitalized end up on breathing machines such as ventilators, this anthem takes on an even deeper meaning and urgency.

This was an awesome gathering of some very talented gospel musicians singing praises to God spontaneously in the round, a collaborative worship and praise style that has recently taken gospel music approach on live and taped recording sessions on video by storm. Jonathan McReynolds, Doe Jones, Chandler Moore, Israel Houghton and others making a joyful noise unto the Lord, singing and fervently lifting up God praises and sending out prayers also to those needing peaceful sleep throughout the night and those that may be challenged with hypertension as well. That was  an especially heartfelt intro solo and prayer from Jonathan as he closed out the song, adding a moving spirit filled touch. To view video if you’re on a mobile phone, click on link entitled view web version below.

“Don’t Shoot”

 

“Don’t Shoot” watercolor painting

The alarming rate of gun violence against unarmed young men was the impetus for this particular piece of art. Also, gun violence in general. Especially the recent mass shootings in Indianapolis. This is my artistic response, a proposed wall mural and poster. A gratis license is available to churches and non-profits that care to use the art to educate and promote awareness about Gun violence and peaceful measures that can be taken to effectively end it. To learn more, email Cynthia Wilson at creativessel@gmail.com.

 

At the top left of the work is an angel who is symbolically pouring out love on the matter  in the form of hearts. She is sounding the trumpets to alert those who will hear the message,which states clearly on an artistic representation of a target painted with the following in varying sequence: "Unarmed Mortal,Don't Shoot. Aim for Love. Drown Out/ Curb Violence. The word curb has been struck through because drown out seems more precise and therefore a more appropriate word in light of the water and heart filled gun and cannon which have been repurposed to pour out love symbolized by water infused with hearts. As a result violence is figuratively depicted saturated with water filled with hearts of love and drowned out. No harm is caused others. If anything, they will get a goodness shower from the water-filled gun and cannon filled with water and hearts.

 

Peace is the ultimate objective. This artwork is just one of many interpretations of a recurring social ill which notably resurfaced with the Trayvon Martin matter--young unarmed men running away from armed police shooting at them for no justifiable reasons.

I wrote and recorded a podcast of the song that was  removed (stolen)from my podcast page. It is being re-uploaded and will be made available soon. But I would like some of my favorite musicians to get together and make a recording of the song and make a video for a virtual concert. I’ve already recorded a version. The one on my podcast episode that’s missing. It’s a song that I hope everyone in our country would join in singing in unison, harmony or whenever the spirit moves them in their homes, at school, in the park at vigils held for loved ones they have lost to gun violence and make cover videos of the song versions they make as well. It’s about unity and people joining together to sing away this madness and evil that has seemed to take over our society and place us under a traumatic psychological state of siege.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Cynthia Wilson