We had worried that the pandemic had put an end to large scale flashmob performances, but the spirit is still strong in Kansas City. A recent impromptu gathering of Christmas carolers at a Kansas Walmart is making the rounds on social media, spreading cheer among internet users just as it did for Chistmas shoppers.
Footage of the singing taken by onlookers begins as the crowd has already started "Adeste Fidelis," or "O Come All Ye Faithful," yet more continue to join the group as the tune progresses. While Fox4 reports that the members of the flashmob – from the non-denominational Cure Church – numbered 60, the crowd looks much bigger by the end. Whether they joined in with the singing or just gathered to watch, there were well over 100 people gathered in the produce section of Walmart by the end.
Speaking to Fox4, Rev. Kelly Lohrke of the Cure Church explained that the whole thing was an idea from his wife, Esther. Wanting to spread some Christmas cheer in her community, Esther gathered a few dozen parishioners to join her in the festivities. She said:
“I just wanted to do something sporadically in a sense but also with a purpose,” Esther Lohrke told Fox4. “It brought so much joy to me where I paused for a second and I began to weep because seeing people come out of the register – literally everybody just stopped.”
Kelly Lohrke expressed his surprise when he saw such a large crowd gathering, especially when perfect strangers started to sing along. He was especially touched by seeing routine shoppers stop and take note, while the display brought others to tears. He said that it was refreshing to see a positive news story coming out of a department store:
“We all know there’s been a lot of craziness going on in the world, and you see a lot of videos in department stores and fights and arguments and hate. Jesus is the prince of peace, and we wanted to bring peace there,” Kelly said.
