Location: The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral - 19 S 38th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Biblical prophets Isaiah and Micah speak of a time where people will “beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning hooks” – it is a vision of a world where we turn from war to peace, and transform tools of death into tools of life. More than a decade ago, Shane began taking this literally, turning donated guns into garden tools as part of a national movement called “RAWtools” (which gets its name from flipping “WAR” around). This event will involve a blacksmithing demonstration with the forge and anvil, where participants will be able to take the hammer and beat on the barrel of a gun.The program will feature a presentation on gun violence by Shane, a live blacksmith demonstration transforming a gun into a garden tool, music from Common Hymnal, and guest speaker Reverend Sharon Risher - daughter and cousin to three victims of the Emanuel 9 murdered by a white supremacist at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. There will be a variety of other local organizations who will invite people to take concrete actions to address gun violence in Philadelphia and around the country. Find more information here.