Students bop to live music during the Carry the Love Campaign. Photo by Joseph Lachance.
This past Tuesday, Feb. 28 the University of Rhode Island hosted an event for the Carry the Love campaign, a campaign dedicated to “Inspire our generation to love like Jesus,” according to their website.
This is the second year in a row URI has hosted this event.
“I even used to think it was kind of weird, but then I realized that the love of Jesus is like the solution to a lot of our problems,” Amelia Crowsley, member of the hosting team for Carry The Love, said. “What this night is, is a night of live music, and then there is someone who comes out and gives a message.”
The message was clear, even from the start of the music. Lyrics such as “Jesus changes everything,” and “Jesus king of kings,” reminded everyone who the star of the show was. This live music was the big draw for many attendees.
“One night I was waiting for a friend at the Memorial Union, and this girl came down and said she couldn’t leave without talking to me.” said Leon Mondor, URI sophomore. “We start talking about God and our faith. She invites me to the 193 Coffee House and there’s this band playing. They say if you enjoy our music come to Carry The Love, so I went.”
The event lasted around two hours which included the introduction and the three songs played by, “The Circuit Riders.”
However, the highlight of the night was the message. David Barkman, a full time missionary, talked for an hour about his personal experiences with his faith.
“When I was a kid, I looked the part,” said Barkman. “I was a Sunday and Wednesday Christian.”
This means he went to church on Sundays and youth group on Wednesdays. However, he also felt that in all that time, it never got him anywhere. He says it wasn’t until he fully accepted Jesus into his life that everything changed.
Barkman then read passages from the bible, including John chapter eight, known for the the phrase, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
The purpose of reading this passage was to send home the message that Barkman, “The Circuit Riders,” and Carry The Love wanted everyone to know that Jesus, and God are not vengeful and judgemental. Barkman claims this is, “misrepresentation of Jesus, but rather Jesus is loving and accepting.”
“Even Jesus who did live without sin, and therefore by his own rules allowed to cast the stone, chose not to,” Barkman said.