Biography
Ken Medema, from San Francisco, California, is a singer, songwriter and keyboard virtuoso. At a very early age, he demonstrated extraordinary musical ability—a gift made all the more remarkable because he has been blind from birth. He studied music therapy at Michigan State University and worked for a while in a psychiatric hospital, but his yearning to be a full-time songwriter and performer was very strong. This year Ken celebrates twenty-five years of life "on the road." He performs about 160 concerts a year, thrilling audiences with his ability to make them sense the sacred within themselves and in surprising places. [Biographical information is correct as of the broadcast date noted above.]

"Building Bridges"   
As a backdrop for what you are going to hear, think about all those times when faith drove people beyond their comfort zones. Maybe it was Abraham, who was asked to go beyond his comfortable home to become a wandering Aramean. Or maybe it was Moses whose commandment was to lead the people out of Egypt, cross the Red Sea and be in the wilderness. Or maybe it was the followers of Jesus who on Pentecost day were sitting all by themselves in that upper room and suddenly had to open their doors and windows to a greater ethnic diversity than they had ever, ever known before. So get ready. Out of the comfort zone, building bridges, here comes tomorrow!
  

Here Comes Tomorrow Here comes tomorrow, quicker than lightening Here comes tomorrow, moving faster than we dreamed. So many people, cities and nations; Rushing together to cross the rivers and the streams. Can we learn to build the bridges that will bring us all together? Can we learn to scale the mountains and at last be face to face? Can we cast a brave new vision as we face a frightening future? So when the sun comes up tomorrow you will hardly recognize the place. A place where there’s room at the table for everyone; It’s the only way to make tomorrow all that it can be. And though vision leads to sacrifice, I know it will be worth the price; To see those bridges reach across the rivers and seas. Oh, see those bridges reach from me to you and you to me. Who would have thought it? Working together. Once we were strangers, now I’m making friends with you. I’ll share my passion, you lend your wisdom; We’ll learn to listen, and we will both learn something new. Can we talk across the chasms that have kept us separated? Can we learn to spread our bright, new wings and fly the open sky? Can we cast a brave new vision as we face a frightening future? So when the sun comes up tomorrow, you will see this world through friendly eyes. A place where there’s room at the table for everyone; Cause its the only way to make tomorrow all that it can be. And though vision leads to sacrifice, I know it will be worth the price; To see those bridges reach across the rivers and the seas. We’ll see those bridges reach from me to you and you to me. Sometimes I wake up and I’m crying. All I want to do is go back to sleep; Cause the sound of the Earth is a groan and it sounds like dying. All I can do is stand on the edge and weep. The city is rank and the wolves are hungry; Chaos is barely kept at bay. What makes us think that we know how to do tomorrow; Especially after the mess that we made of today? Some people want to jump over the wall; Some people want to escape from it all. Dressed in the fabric of yesterday’s dreams; Building their houses by yesterday’s schemes. But yesterday’s gone and it will not return; And the flag’s in the fire beginning to burn. Come lift me up and with smoke in our eyes, We’ll look toward the sunlight that calls us to rise. Rise up and walk though you tremble with fear; Never to stop until the whole world can hear that... There’s room at the table for everyone. Cause it’s the only way to make tomorrow all that it can be. And though vision leads to sacrifice, I know it will be worth the price; To see those bridges reach across the rivers and the seas. We’ll see those bridges reach from me to you and you to me. Building bridges across the rivers; See those bridges reach from you to me.

I’m told that the pollsters tell us that the American people are the now the loneliest people in the world. We have the Internet, we have phones, we have faxes, but we are the loneliest people in the world. Sometimes when I’m traveling around the country to churches, I go to these places and I see people sitting just like the disciples did in that upper room. Afraid of the world outside, afraid to go beyond the walls, afraid to open the windows and the doors. Locked inside our skin.

Locked Inside Our Skin Locked inside our skin, we live so far apart. And what I wouldn't give to hear the beating of your heart. Trapped inside this flesh as if inside some shell, Isolation is a game we play so very well. Here we stand as two separate people who are longing to be one, Trying to deal with the ache that we feel because we hate to be alone. God of uniting we stand in your presence and this is what we pray: "Close the gap with every passing day." Soon the day will dawn. We'll know when we'll be known. All things will be new again and all the world be one. This is not that day; tomorrow is not yet here. Dare we take the risks of love, and join to face our fears? So here we stand, so many separate people who are longing to be one, Trying to deal with the ache that we feel because we hate to be alone. God of uniting we stand in your presence and this is what we pray: "Close the gap with every passing day."

Our history is full of those stories of people who once were strangers and have become friends. Think of old Ananais who sat on his back porch one morning praying and all of a sudden God said, "Go to that guy named Saul." And Ananais, I’m sure, went, "What?! What is this? You want me to go where, do what?...."

Shall We Learn to Be Friends? You are my sister, even when I hardly know you; You are my brother, even when I do not show you. Your in my family, in Christ you’re kin to me; Now you are one with me, shall we learn to be friends? You are my mother, when I fall and when I’m hurting; You are my father, please forgive me my deserting. You’re in my family, in Christ you’re kin to me; Now you are one with me, shall we learn to be friends? I need you near me when my hope is gone, when my hope is gone; Come lift me up and help me carry on; you’ve got to help me carry on. Then when you’re weak, you’ll find me by your side; I’ll be standing by your side to comfort you and see you through. You are my daughter, it matters not your race or nation; You are my son, my own; may we embrace in celebration. You’re in my family, in Christ you’re kin to me; Now you are one with me, shall we learn to be friends?

So here is my vision: that faith, instead of building walls between us, instead of contributing to our ethnic separation, instead of contributing to our racial hatred, would be that driving force whereby transformed human beings can build bridges between each other and make this world a more friendly place.

Is There a Place for Dreaming? Is there a place for dreaming in the corners for your mind; In a world where dreams are broken; And dreamers so hard to find? Well, do you dream and do you weep some times; About the way that things should be? Come dreaming with me, dreaming with me; Admission is free. Do you dream of another country where there is no push and shove; Where the rich don’t rule and all the poor will be fed; And the only law is love, sweet love? Where a neighbor is a real neighbor and there is trust and loyalty? Come dreaming with me, dreaming with me; Admission is free. When I was a child I used to daydream a whole lot. But they told me that it would not last; They said I wouldn’t have time for such a waste of my mind; But my life really started moving fast. Now that I’m grown, I find that life with no dream; Is a hell that I simply refuse to bear. And if it’s all right, I’d like to open my mind; And see if my dreams are still there, my dreams still there. So is there a place for dreaming, children, in the corners of your mind; In a world where dreams are broken down; And dreamers so hard to find? And do you dream and weep sometimes; About the way that things should be? Come dreaming with me, dreaming with me; Admission if free. Dream of a world, dream of a place... Dream of a world where there is room at the table for everyone; Cause it’s the only way we’re gonna make tomorrow all that it can be. And though vision leads to sacrifice, I know it will be worth the price; To see those bridges reach across the rivers and the seas; See those bridges reach from me to you and you to me. Building bridges across the rivers. See those bridges reach from you to me.

Interview with Ken Medema
Interviewed by Lydia Talbot

Talbot: An incredible vision and image! Thanks, Ken Medema, for sharing room for everyone at the table of your gift of music.