NORTHERN VIRGINIA, November 4, 2024 — On the eve of the close national election, a wide variety of clergy from various faiths, including Christian, Jewish, and Muslim, today released a video emphasizing that Americans have much more in common than what divides them.
The video was created by Rabbi Michael Holzman of Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, Rev. Becca Messman of Burke Presbyterian Church and a leader in VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), and Rev. Vernon Walton of First Baptist Church of Vienna, with cooperation from the regional clergy community.
With recordings of “God Bless America” and other patriotic songs, the video emphasizes that “violence has no place in a democracy,… violence demeans the American story.” The clergy encourage voting and other means of peaceful participation in public life.
The video says that no matter the outcome of the election, “the only way we can live together is by …