athirst

from today's psalm: athirst is my soul for the living God. Last night Pete and I saw and heard Van Morrison and his 15 piece orchestra belt out and pour out Van's songs. The movement was powerful... the power of his presence and his voice and his poetry is something to behold. To be honest, I couldn't make out many of his words. Every once in a while, I'd pick out: "mystic church", " the healing begin" "right next to you" and it was impossible to miss "Gloria". I remember when I first heard Van's music: in a church. Rob Federle, a fellow parishioner and military brat, like me, was leading a eucharistic prayer service (in lieu of mass that Wed. morning) and he played a Van song on the little boom box. WHOA! Who is this guy? His words and voice and the music grabbed me right beneath the solar plexus. I've been a fan ever since. Last night, while I couldn't make out many of the words, I heard loud and clear under a half moon sitting on a cement seat a "soul athirst for the living God". All those musicians under the leadership and inspiration of Van Morrison seeking to express that desire.. with passion, skill and joy. Van hasn't had an easy life. As we headed back to our lives after the concert, Pete said, referring to Van's music: "it's all about the love...but, it recognizes how hard that is, the struggle, the pain, the disappointment, the desire... but ultimately, it's about the love." Yes, it is.