I've only been to New York City twice in my life.
The first time was an overnight trip with my best friend from high school. She and her husband at the time were living in Boston and I flew up to visit for a week. Labor day weekend we made the three hour drive to "the City" and stayed in Time Square. It wasn't as big as I expected it to be. Gaudy, yes, but not quite as big. The day I flew out of Boston was the same day my former roommate, Gretchen, was moving to NYC.
A year or so after that first trip, I flew to New York to visit Gretchen. I was flying in on Easter Weekend, and Gretchen was attending Redeemer at the time, so the plan was to start out our good times with the Good Friday service. Unfortunately, my lightning speed drive to Memphis that morning (roundtrip ticket out of there was a mere $150), coupled with too much coffee and a puddle-jumper flight to Atlanta, left me sleeping on a bench in the airport waiting for dramamine to kick in and the next available flight to arrive. Needless to say, I did not reach the city in time for the service.
The first time was an overnight trip with my best friend from high school. She and her husband at the time were living in Boston and I flew up to visit for a week. Labor day weekend we made the three hour drive to "the City" and stayed in Time Square. It wasn't as big as I expected it to be. Gaudy, yes, but not quite as big. The day I flew out of Boston was the same day my former roommate, Gretchen, was moving to NYC.
A year or so after that first trip, I flew to New York to visit Gretchen. I was flying in on Easter Weekend, and Gretchen was attending Redeemer at the time, so the plan was to start out our good times with the Good Friday service. Unfortunately, my lightning speed drive to Memphis that morning (roundtrip ticket out of there was a mere $150), coupled with too much coffee and a puddle-jumper flight to Atlanta, left me sleeping on a bench in the airport waiting for dramamine to kick in and the next available flight to arrive. Needless to say, I did not reach the city in time for the service.
Saturday, however, made up for the lost time. This being my vacation, I was tasked with the decision of choosing one concert we would attend during my visit. Prior to my arrival, I poured over Pollstar, paying careful attention to both artist and venue options. After some deliberation, I settled on 16 Horsepower at the Bowery Ballroom.
The band did not disappoint. The venue was packed. The mood was solemn and a bit dark, with a strangely anticipative undercurrent. We were caught up in the moment, caught up in the movement, caught up in the music and the multitude, caught up in the mood. Slightly past midnight, as the band was tuning their vast array of instruments to entertain us through the next song, someone behind us in the crowd cried out, "He is risen!". To which quirky frontman Edwards casually glanced up and added an emphatic, "Indeed!".
I don't know if the entire crowd felt it or not, but I had tingles of hope throughout my soul. Amidst the stories of hurt and loss and confusion, was the promise of LIFE. And as we moved into Easter, it was only confirmed more. Yes, life is hard. Yes, life sucks... a lot of the time. But there is also promise... there is also hope... there is also CHRIST! This is all life, and we are a part of it, for better or worse. And God created it. And it is good. In fact, it is very good.
1 comment:
Indeed!
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