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Making New Connections on the Way to Old Town by The Rev. Laura Queen During the presentation of Quantum mechanics and theology presented at this year's spring clergy conference, I was reminded of a connection I made while visiting Florida last month. Karen, her mother and I took a drive up to Old Town to see my Aunt Shirley. Old Town is a rural part of central Florida. Our route was highway 19 north and we past alligator farms, vegetable and fruit stands, and manatees swimming in warm springs along the way. We stopped to stretch our legs at the historic Suwannee river, where we took pictures on a floating dock over the water and later read the lyrics to the famous Stephen Foster song printed on the original bridge. As we continued to explore the rest area, I heard some bluegrass music playing. I walked over to a gate under a grove of oak trees standing several hundred feet tall with their branches draped majestically with Spanish moss. A park ranger was sitting under a tent and he welcomed me by explaining that they were celebrating Suwannee River Days at the park with live music and historical encampments of native people, confederate soldiers and other settlers of old Florida. He asked where I was from and I answered Los Angeles. At this point, he told me he had moved to Florida to buy real estate to plan his retirement. I was surprised to learn that seven years ago he had made the move to Florida from Redondo Beach, so of course I let him know that I currently live in Hermosa Beach. Naturally, he asked what I did for a living and I told him I am an Episcopal priest. With a spark in his eye, he got up and walked toward me, reaching out to shake my hand. He said he was a member of a little Episcopal chapel just down the road a mile or so. Having noticed the Episcopal shield sign as we drove by, I mentioned how quaint the chapel looked nestled amongst the whispering pine trees. As a native Floridian, I knew this area to be quite rural and presumably conservative in nature. So when this retired Episcopalian in a uniform began to lament about the challenges within the Anglican Communion, I became more guarded with my responses, wondering where the conversation might lead. As he continued to share with me, he announced that he, and his partner, have stayed at the church despite the conservative views of most of the congregation. At this point in their relationship, they were accepted as active members of their church community but kept their private lives to themselves. I could see the deep longing in his eyes for a meaningful connection − a connection he had made with me almost instantly. I called Karen over and introduced her as my partner. He felt honored and in return called over his partner of seventeen years for us to meet. Together, for a few minutes under this canopy of oak and moss, with bluegrass music in the background, we joined in a group hug and felt the presence of God! The Holy Spirit had guided us to meet these two faithful men who in the act of volunteering for their local state park stumbled across a wandering priest, her partner and her partner's mother. You never know whom you might meet down by the river side. During the clergy conference this week I listened to the presenter talk about the working hypothesis on "what it means to be human" and the consciousness of each persons' soul fully connected with each other and the universe. I thought of those two men and our trip…"Way down upon the Suwannee river" last month. Copyright © 2007 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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