GREENFIELD — As part of the Second Congregational Church’s 200 year anniversary celebration, Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary and his wife, the Rev. Betty Stookey, will be performing “One Light, Many Candles,” a combination of song and spoken word meant to unite those from different religious backgrounds.
The duo will be performing at the church on Court Square Nov. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Noel Paul Stookey will be doing the song portion of the multi-faith program, while Betty, who spent eight years as chaplain of Northfield Mount Hermon School, will be reading famous works about peace and faith from notable figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi.
“It’s just geared toward the idea that no one religion can claim that their god is the only god,” Betty said.
This is part of the church’s 200-year celebration. The two currently live in Maine and have done the performances since 2012. They’ve done about 26 performances in total. Betty said the church contacted them about a possible performance and they agreed, and are looking forward to returning to the area.
She said the intent of the performance is to “respect all religions without ignoring our religion.”
The two said the performances are a way to get people to see the possibility of a united world, where differences in religion aren’t an issue.
“I think that it’s good for people to know, in these days where there’s so much hate and killing, to have hope,” she said.
The couple said the aim of the performance is for those who attend to leave with a sense of hope in today’s world.
“People come away just, I don’t know how to say it, they are completely excited and stimulated and peaceful,” she said.
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $50 for a meet and greet reception following the concert. Tickets are available at World Eye Bookshop on Main Street in Greenfield and at the door. For more information, visit: onelightmanycandles.org
Reach Miranda Davis at 413-772-0261, ext. 280 or mdavis@recorder.com.