Pearl Jam Pushed me to Action

Our journey to New York City this past September was one that Matt and I will never forget. It was a four-day weekend that began as a small trip to see our favorite band play and to gather with our our Pearl Jam friends with whom we have shared many PJ concerts and experiences over the years. 

We had booked our trip this summer, as soon as we heard the news of the Global Citizen Festival and Pearl Jam's promised appearance at the concert. 

But as the weekend finally arrived, and we packed our bags for the "City that Never Sleeps," we had no idea what the city had in store for us.

Sure, the fact that Pope Francis landed at JFK just minutes before us was a bit heart-stopping to say the least. And the surreal experience continued when Boys II Men sang live in concert just a few feet away from us, as we arrived in the terminal at JFK airport.

But it wasn't until the day of the concert - The Global Citizen Festival - that we knew that we were in a city where change was taking place for the better.

On that day, 60,000 people gathered on the Great Lawn in Central Park to hear musicians, activists, world leaders, and actors to speak about achieving very tangible goals to end extreme poverty by the year 2030. (See my article on the M&V magazine website: http://magazinemv.com/culture/2015-global-citizen-festival, which is also attached to the sidebar of this blog in "published articles").

The highlights of the festival for me were hearing Bono and Michele Obama speak. And it was activist Malala Yousafzai's speech that gave me goosebumps and made me clap so loudly that I felt that I was part of a protest, instead of something supported by the 193 members of the United Nations and everyone surrounding me.

And of course, when Pearl Jam took the stage as the final act of the night, emotions ran wild. It was a moment for which we had all been waiting. As usual, I sang every word of every song at the top of my lungs. And I danced as if I were in some sort of high-powered fitness class. There's just something about being in the presence of Pearl Jam that makes me want to run a marathon.

It wasn't until Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," sung by Beyonce and Eddie Vedder, that a sort of fire lit up inside of me. Not only was it THE most beautiful rendition of this song that I have ever heard, but it was inspiring to hear a recording of one of the late Nelson Mandela's speeches, with Vedder's powerful strum and Beyonce's melodic hum in the background.

Photo cred: YouTube subscriber, ArielTad

I was reminded of Mandela's speech when he said:

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Of course, the task will not be easy. And not to do this will be a crime against humanity. Against which I ask all humanity now to rise up."

Suddenly, the message that had been repeated throughout the day - the message that we needed to be the generation to take action, and not a generation of bystanders - changed my heart.

Sure, I've always been one to reach out to the community at home when I am able. I've worked with the homeless, I've worked with underprivileged children, and I've worked hard for organizations that support others physically and mentally challenged. But it was something about this concert and something about this song that told me it's time to take action globally.

The Pearl Jam weekend went down in the books as another great weekend with Pearl Jam and our friends, but it became something greater for me this time.

This time I came home, and I made a decision to rise up. I decided to join a group of girlfriends on a November trip to Haiti with "Food for the Poor" to visit the children in this impoverished country. 

I know that I'm not going to change the world by my presence in Haiti, but I hope that by being there I am going to share the light of Christ with these children, and that through our visit, I will show these children what it means to be loved and to be wrapped in His arms.

Please pray for me and my friends as we visit Haiti November 19-21st. Look for a follow up article on the M&V Magazine website, where I will share a bit of what I'm sure will be a life-changing experience.

And so I went to Haiti, and my world was forever changed.