Gary Lightbody
Photo: Culture Northern Ireland Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol encouraged people to see each other as equals at a Christian festival in Belfast last Friday.
The Northern Irish singer [pictured] from Bangor said “I think that whether we see it or not we all have a bond with each other and a lot of that is to do with music”, to Rev. Steve Stockman in an open conversation in Fitzroy Presbyterian Church.
“As you say you said you were having this experience where you realised everyone was connected, whether they were Catholic or Protestant or whatever religion while we were singing along to ‘Run’, I have those moments all the time.”
He spoke as part of the Four Corners Festival, which runs until February 9. It aims to promote the coming together of Christians in Belfast city through a series of events.
Inspiration
Mr Lightbody talked mostly about his young life growing up in Northern Ireland and told the crowd how much of an inspiration his grandmother was.
“She was born and raised in Derry as a protestant, a very devout Christian and one of her best friends Margaret Monaghan was a Catholic from when they were very young, for their whole life they were best friends,” he said.
“She literally had an open-door policy where the Protestant Reverend would come for tea, and the Catholic priest would come for tea. Both sides would come for cups of tea round Betty’s house.”
He told the crowd how she passed away reading the bible and the verse on one of those pages inspired the song ‘Church’.