Just a few days ago I had the tremendous opportunity to be involved in a community-wide event held in an area of Newark, New Jersey desperately in need of hope and peace. A few organizations, including Integrity House, Bradley Court Tenants Association, the Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Peace, along with the City of Newark, Fire Dept. and Police Dept., helped sponsor the first ever Bradley Court Day on July 21, 2008. Nearly one thousand people attended this event, that featured a BBQ, petting zoo, water sprinklers, horseback rides, resource tents, job opportunities, choirs, singers, rappers, and an interfaith response. Thanks to Bethel Outreach Ministries, a partner in the Interfaith Coalition, over a dozen addicts were bussed over to detox.

Though the environment was extremely festive, positive, and upbeat--I couldn't help wondering what these "projects" were like without all the attention. I'd heard stories about how bad things were from a few who knew far more about Bradley Court than I, but one stands out above all the rest.

Dierdre works for the Presbytery of Newark and has vested interest in Bradley Court and the efforts that the Interfaith Coalition has tried to initiate. She approached me the day after the event while in the office and asked me what I thought. I gave her the standard response: "I thought it was great; It seemed like a lot of positive energy" etc. I could tell by the look on her face however, that there was much more that happened that day than I realized. She began to tell me just how bad things really are in that neighborhood. She mentioned that even just driving by Bradley Court you couldn't help but sense the dark cloud that hovered over that area. "However, on Monday," she said as her face brightened, "it was like heaven opened up and poured out it's light." She then recounted what I had experienced--children playing, music, joy, smiles, laughter--but from an entirely different perspective. It was at that moment that I began to realize just how special of a day it really was.

I'm thankful for the shift in perspective I got from Dierdre, and I'm hopeful for Bradley Court. It is my prayer that heaven's light didn't just shine for one day and disappear, but will continue to illumine the hearts and souls of Bradley Court in the months and years ahead.