The road goes on forever... so get used to it!

We arrived in Halifax at about 9 pm last night after a full day of travel and exploration of the Bay of Fundy. Somewhere along the way – we later discovered it was at the US border – we crossed into the Atlantic Time Zone – a total surprise. So, when we work up, we had to hustle our butts into high gear and clear out of our apartment. We found a sweet little University tea shop to ease our minds into the day – excellent Irish Breakfast and Assam tea – and then wandered for a bit around St. John.

First stop was the Loyalist Cemetery – a haunting and sobering spot of beauty in the heart of down town – that harkens back to 1783 when New Englanders (and the slaves) who did not want to remain in the newly created “United States of America” headed to Canada to remain loyal to King George III. There is something uniquely calming and challenging about old grave yards – they are visible reminders of those who have paved our way – and also signs of how hard their lives were, too. It was a beautiful place of serenity and reflection surrounded by the noise and business of the modern city.

A few blocks away is Trinity Anglican Church – also born in 1783 as the ‘home church of the loyalists’ – and as you might expect it is boldly English is style and demeanor. I tend to favor small Anglican churches that combine traditional English beauty with a humane size, but this was grand, rather formal and cold. The outside, however, is stunning at night as it looks down upon St. John from one of the highest points in town. Across the street are the Anglican Bookstore and 10,000 Village Fair Trade Craft Shop. Like the total church geek that I am, I was thrilled to find the new United Church of Canada hymnal along with a gentle little book about “making crosses by hand.”

For years this is something that has attracted me – I own lots of creative crosses from around the world – and of late have been thinking a lot about how the cross is a way of making something beautiful out of things the world throws away or disdains. That is an emerging part of my theology, too – finding or even creating beauty from those things that have been discarded or denigrated – so this little volume spoke to my heart. And the artist’s photographs of the small crosses she has made are tender and lovely. I can’t wait to start…

After a little more wandering it was on to the InPrint Bookstore – a great shop affiliated with the University of New Brunswick – where I found another treat: the Top 100 Rock Albums of Canada! What could be more perfect? Especially with Neil Young’s Harvest and After the Gold Rush within the top 5 along with Blue by Joni Mitchell, Music from Big Pink by the Band, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette and Funeral by Arcade Fire? What’s more, there are well written entries on others including the Tragically Hip, Bruce Cockburn and even Stan Rogers. This is going to be a gas to review and will likely lead to a few more CDs as this journey matures.

Most of the rest of the day was spent heading over to the Bay of Fundy National Park and going to the beach to experience the dramatic tides. It added a few hours to our drive to Halifax but what the hell this whole trip is about the journey, right? Oddly, or maybe NOT so oddly, I was emotionally resistant to this change in plans and found myself fretting most of the night instead of sleeping. “We have a goal to make, goddammit, and this throws off my plans for Halifax” I kept thinking.

Now please note, I had JUST finished reading a chapter in Nora Gallagher's new book on Eucharistic living that described “coming to the table of Christ with empty hands as one of the hardest things any of us can do” because it reminds us that we really don’t have everything we need within us. We aren’t always in control of our lives – especially our spiritual lives – and so we come to God openly and humbling acknowledging this truth.

Well, let’s just say that it is one thing to read and honor such a penetrating spiritual insight and it is another thing to incarnate. And apparently, my American brain on overdrive wanted to accomplish my plan – get on with this trip – quit wasting time and get to Halifax. And it kept me up half the night fretting…

At some point, about 4:45 am I finally had to say, “Oh fuck it, man. Shut up and grow up… this is a VACATION not an armed invasion so with the flow, ok?” At which point I went right to sleep and stayed that way for 5 hours. Embarrassing but true… and the time on the Bay of Fundy – and the ride to it – were beautiful and restful.

Thankfully I slept like a rock last night and woke refreshed and ready for a day of buskers from around the world and Nova Scotia. Morning prayer began today with Psalm 42: As the hart pants for the stream, so my soul yearns for you, O Lord. (And I might add: even - or especially - when I don't know it.)