In the 1960's Simon and Garfunkle sang a wonderful song about the meaning of life and friendship. At one point in the song, they sang, "I can imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly. How terribly stange to be seventy." While not seventy, quiet yet, I had one of those "old friends" experiences this past weekend. In fact, it is still going on. As I sit writing, I am in Vancouver, British Columbia on the edge of the Fraser River. Lynn and I spent the end of last week in a beautiful town in the interior of BC by the name of Salmon Arm. The occasion was the eighteenth annula Salmon Arms Roots and Blues Music Fesitval. The purpose was good music, cool weather and "old (and new) friends.
The friends were from Alabama, New Orleans, Austin, Texas and Seattle Washington and Salmon Arm. The music was from all over the world: fifty bands, six stages, nine hundred volunteers, ten thousand festival goers and some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen in my life. The musicians were from Canada, the USA, South Africa, England, Cuba, Somalia, Australia, Israel/Ghana Bermuda and Ughanda. The music was the "grassroots" music that grows out of the lives of people and nations, expressing who they are and what is important to them. One of the thrills of the festival was to see the number of really young, twenty-something musicians from all over the world who gave me hope not only for the music of the future but for the world of the future as well.
Our headquarters for the weekend was the home of cousins of one of our traveling companions. We met these friends in Mexico in 2003 when we were in Mexico studying Spanish and have travelled with them since to enjoy good music, our beautiful country and world and to make more new friends.
Last night a new member joined our group as others left it heading back home. The new member was one of my former students from St. Pauls' Episcopal Shcool in New Orleans. I taught her from 1989 until 1991. As the world has continued to shrink, I found her on facebook and got reacquainted. Today she will be our "tour guide" around the city of Vancouver. Last night she gave me instructions on how to use the Skytrain and which kind of ticket to buy so that we will have all day access.
When I think of the gifts God has given us, some of the most important ones that come to mind are good friends (old and new), beautiful and meaningful music, and the beauty of creation. As The Rev. Mark Waldo, Sr. who preached Sunday at Trinity in my absence wrote to me early this morning on email: "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, I can see his hand of beauty and his grace. I can feel the touch of angels wings, I see glory in his face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place." "This place would be the whole world, the people would be all of God's people throughout the world, both the friends we know and the friends we havn't met yet.
Blessings to all of you from our Northern Neighbor, Canada. I am excited to see all of you next week.
Ben Alford
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