LMU is hosting visionary civil rights leader, Valarie Kaur, for an immersive experience of storytelling, music, song, and community building on Friday Sept. 20, at 4:30 p.m. in Sculpture Garden. The Revolutionary Love Bus Tour goal is to promote courage, humanity, and love across the US.
Nirinjan Khalsa-Baker, a professor in Theological Studies, is one of the performers in this experience and has been passionate about promoting love and peace since the rise in hate crimes after 9/11 attacks directed at her Sikh community who wear turbans as a symbol of their faith. She is thrilled LMU is a part of this movement that hopes to replace violence with a sense of belonging, dignity, and love.
“During this time, we are seeing our country so divided, we are seeing a rise in hateful rhetoric,” said Khalsa-Baker. “It is such a polarizing time that people feel divisive. We want to bring an ethic of love to our communities. How do we lead a call for love? I believe by returning to our stories and songs from our ancestral wisdom, from our religious traditions and then using that wisdom to guide us during these moments of crisis and turmoil.”
Khalsa-Baker believes that LMU is a great location for the Revolutionary Love Bus Tour because this tour seeks to replace a culture of violence with one of belonging, dignity and love. She also draws on the similarities between St. Ignatius of Loyola and Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. “They call us to see God in all things and to see the oneness of all, both saying ‘I see you, as a part of me. I see you as part of our interconnected family. I see that divine light shining within everyone,’” said Khalsa-Baker.
This event is free and open to students, faculty, and the community. Khalsa-Baker says students have been instrumental in organizing this event as part of their Engaged Learning. “I hope this tour will nourish our communities and inspire us to take courageous action and work with our communities in a beautiful way.” To RSVP click here.
