A Hymn Which brought Strong Men to Tears



It was probably in the mid 1990's, and it was certainly mid-winter.  

I'd been to Aruba for a short winter break, and arrived back at Boston's Logan Airport in the early hours of the morning.

It had snowed; boy had it snowed. I had to clear my car as best I could,  and ram it out of the off-airport parking lot.

I was heading west in heavy snow on the Mass Pike  (I-90). What would be my destination.

My choice was to Pittsfield, MA. and my home about 120 miles away.   OR to Bangor, PA for a retreat some 290 miles away.

I let the car decide.  When we got to Sturbridge MA where the choice was either  west to home on I-90; or south west via I-84 towards Bangor, PA.

I sounds weirdly odd; but my car decided to head to Bangor.  It was a tough long drive.  I was exhausted.

But why Bangor, PA?   I was on my way to a retreat for Christian Gay Men at the Kirkridge Retreat and Conference Centre -  another step in "coming out to myself".

I arrived mid morning, (the retreat had started the evening before); looking like the ghost of three Christmases before.

I was shown to my shared room where I had a short but deep sleep  before lunch. Sometime mid-afternoon I was introduced to my small group; still "coming out to myself"  as  jittery as a High School boy at his Junior Prom.

The leader of my was a school teacher of my age from Brooklyn. His first words to me were "Welcome, you are standing on Holy Ground". Those were the words I needed to hear. I wish that I had stayed in touch with him.   

Love wrapped her arms around me as I began to understand that at Kirkridge  the ground was made holy by the presence of the gay men who were to be my companions for a few days. 

I went back to Kirkridge four or five times again. The retreats were  holy staging places on my journey to wholeness.

Sometimes my friends Ben M and Peter V came with me.

Just recently another Kirkridge Alumnus Robb W tracked me down and told me that he never forgot my jokes and stories!

The Kirkridge retreats always ended with a hymn which brought a hundred or so strong men to tears. I remembered that song again today with joyful sadness.  

How I long to turn the clock back and sing it again at Kirkridge. That will and cannot happen.  'Tis O.K.  the music, and the love, and the joy of Kirkridge yet sustain my soul.

Hear it for yourself.


https://youtu.be/6rgLsoWxwyU





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