By Mary O’KEEFE

There is no doubt there is a lot of negativity swirling around America and the world. Conspiracy theories, fake news and just plain hate seem to lead the headlines. But there are pockets where people put away their differences and look toward the positive in life. One of those calm islands of love and positivity was in Glendale recently at the Glendale Prayer Breakfast.

People of faith gathered at the Glendale Civic Center to hear keynote speaker Bob Miller share stories of his long career as the voice of the LA Kings, and his philosophy that “life is amazing.”

“You may think with all that is going on and the division at this time in our country and around the world, this is a strange statement to make,” Miller said. “We are all mindful and shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.”

Miller spoke of the shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue that occurred on Oct. 27. A gunman entered the synagogue, reportedly made anti-Semitic statements and killed 11 people. (The Glendale Prayer Breakfast was held prior to the shooting in Thousand Oaks on Nov. 7 when a gunman entered a bar on “college night” and killed 12 people.)

Miller reminded attendees that the United States had gone through some bad times in the past, including the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

“There were demonstrations in the streets, Americans were fighting and arguing with other Americans and killing their neighbors,” he said.

There were more times when the country and the world saw division including just before and after the 1929 Great Depression and World Wars I and II.

“Now we have so many more ways to receive information we didn’t have in those days. Streaming media, [writing] stories they never did before, some [sent] out with no one checking the accuracy or the facts of what people are putting out in social media,” he said.

He added media seems to like picking up the negative stories before highlighting the positive but, despite this, Miller does see a change in more outlets, like radio programs that now take time to highlight “feel good” stories.

“I am a pretty optimistic guy,” he said. Miller added his optimism comes from the profession he was lucky to work in for 57 years. Every morning he would go to work excited about what he would hear and see that day.

Keeping with the theme of “life is amazing,” the prayer breakfast celebrated multi-faiths. Pastor Richard Garner led several teens in prayer who represented schools throughout the area and were from several different faiths. They shared prayers from their faiths for all.

Although there was a focus on searching for the positive light in all the negative darkness, the thought of the victims and the community in Pittsburgh was ever-present.

In a show of faithful solidarity, Rabbi Rick Schechter, Pastor Charles Updike and Rev. Cassie McCarty led prayers for the victims and for the country.

  Mary Okeefe