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.]

"Come Down From That Tree" 
There is an obsession in our culture with risk taking. We rock climb, we rappel, etc., etc. There is also a prevailing idea that religion is safe and not risky. Well, I'd like to put that lie to rest, starting out with a story right out of the Bible about Zack the tax man.

 

Zack, the Tax Man (Luke 19: 1-10) Zack is the name; tax collecting is my game. The Romans don't care what I do to you; Rome is vague at what they require. I can do just what I want to you; I can put the heat on and make you perspire. Zack is the name; tax collecting is my game. Well, there's a brand new teacher here in town; Everyone is going to hear him speak. His reputation is getting all around. Maybe I'll go to him and seek... So I did what I'd never done before; I climbed to the top of a sycamore...tree. Now I suppose I oughta tell you why I did it; Not that I have this big love affair with trees or anything! But I'm a short guy, a very, very short guy. Never had a chance to play basketball in Hebrew school. And the girls always called me "Zack the Wimp." Anyway...I did what I'd never done before; Climbed to the top of a sycamore. Well, there he came. Itinerant teacher was his game. He did not look like such hot stuff to me. I had no cause to be impressed; Such a carpenter type from Galilee. What are you looking up here for, sir? How in the ***** did you know I was here, sir? Oh, I get it...You want to show your disciples that you're an honest man; And so you want to pay your last year's taxes... No? Come down, you say? You're coming to my house today? Well, you see we didn't leave any food out today; We thought we'd go to McDon...You're coming anyway? Have it your way! So he came; transformation was his game. And for the first time in my life; A short guy was not small at all. If they could see me now...they'd never believe it! This is the craziest thing that we've seen yet. Old Zacchaeus is giving away everything that he's worked so hard to get. He's settling old accounts with more than fair amounts. Giving half his goods to the poor. Whoa! Giving back what he had stolen and four times more. If they could see me now...they'd never believe it! This is the craziest thing that we've seen yet. Zacch-"tax"-aeus is giving away; Everything that he's worked so hard to... Everything that he's worked so hard to get. Rock-a-bye, Zacchaeus, in your treetop; When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bow breaks, your cradle will fall. And down will come Zacchaeus, possessions and all!

Same story, twentieth century version. It goes like this:

 

Andy's Escape It was blue skies forever just outside the windows of a well appointed corporate jet. They were sipping champagne trying hard to explain with appropriate corporate regrets; To the new guy on board how his job had come open when Andy went wacko-insane. He just opened the door and he jumped from the jet; To go crash through the wind, clouds, and rain singing... Two roads diverged under all-seeing skies. I took the one less traveled by. Out of the box and over the fence; That has made all the difference. What ever happened to drive poor Andy crazy? Said the suit who had taken his place. Well, the man had his problems; he just he couldn't focus. He could not keep up with the pace. So he hung around town meeting kids on the street; And they say he is now teaching school. He could have been playing up here with the big boys; But now he's down there playing fool. Singing... Two roads diverged under all seeing skies; I took the one less traveled by. Out of the box and over the fence; That has made all the difference. Now it was grey skies forever just outside the windows; Of the Jefferson High School downtown. Andy stood up to teach though he'd been warned on the phone To stay home, there's bad stuff coming down. The shot pierced the air, Andy crashed to the floor; And they read it the next day on the plane; With a quote from a kid who explained through his tears; This man gave me my hope back again. You see... Two roads diverged under an all-seeing sky; I took the one less traveled by. Out of the box and over the fence; That has made all the difference.

I travel all over the country and I get to talk to a lot of people, a lot of people who are trapped in their safe, boring lives; trapped in business suits or in their middle class houses; or maybe trapped in the expectations of their peer group and who are utterly and totally miserable. I don't want to live locked in a safe life. I don't want to live in that kind of nightmare anymore. For me the Christian life is a risk, a wonderful exciting, dangerous "come down out of that tree" kind of risk.

 

A Better Way Well, I am scared and I am running; Running from a private nightmare. And I can't tell anybody, they've got problems of their own. And when I think that I have escaped it, it's always there behind me. And I'm stumbling as I'm running through this long and lonely night. I used to believe in morning but I'm so far from that light. I wonder if there'll ever be a time when I will ever be all right. There's got to be a better way. There's got to be a better dream. Won't somebody please come tell me, "Life's not as bad as it may seem;" When all my plans have crashed and burned and there is nothing more to say. I won't go unless I know, unless I know, there can be a better way. Can't you see me reaching out—reaching for a new direction. When I think that I have found it, you know it blows up in my hand. And I've tried everything I know of and it all goes down in ashes. And I know there must be something that's gonna help me with this pain. Some bridge that I can walk on that won't give beneath the strain. Somebody who will hold me close and tell me I can be okay again. There's got to be a better way. There's got to be a better dream. Won't somebody please come tell me life's not as dry and boring and dull as it may seem. When all my plans have crashed and burned and there is nothing more to say. I won't go on unless I know, unless I know, I can find a better way. Got to find a better dream. Got to find a better way.

Interview with Ken Medema
Interviewed by Floyd Brown

Floyd Brown: Ken, thank you so very much. That was really marvelous!

Ken Medema: Thank you.

Brown: A wonderful message. We are frightened in this life of ours. I heard a conversation on a radio talk show and thought about you immediately. You have been blind all of your life. You've been challenged, but you've done so well with it. You're a brilliant composer; you perform well, and you have every success in the world. But the question on this program was: if you had a chance to have your sight, would you choose to do so? I was surprised because in the audience many blind people said, "I would not want to change." And sighted people said they would not want to change either. Where do you come down on that?

Medema: This is the risk for me. This is where I will be challenged because I have lived my whole life as a blind person. It is a safe place to be. I belong there. I have my identity there. Everything I know, I know as a blind person. Now, my blindness is caused by a retinal condition. They are now exploring retina transplants. Ophthalmologists have told me, "In a few years you may have to make the choice. Do you want to see or not?" Now, Floyd, that's going to be a very risky choice. Frankly, I do not know at this moment where I'll come down on that.

Brown: Boy, that has to be a real challenge.

Medema: It's a real challenge and I don't know if I'll take the risk of seeing again or if I'll be just too chicken. I don't know.

Brown: Do you stay awake at night thinking about it?

Medema: I'll try to stay in touch with you.

Brown: Will you? We would certainly like to know. We enjoy what you do so terribly much. We have time for a quick question, if we may. What's the secret of your appeal to audiences?

Medema: I think what the people like about what I do is that I sing their story. People get up in my audience. They tell me a story about their own lives, about what they're experiencing, and I sing it back to them. Suddenly their own story takes on significance.

Brown: Music is the key obviously and the ability to communicate that. Ken, that's wonderful. How many appearances do you do a year?

Medema: Well, I guess it's over 150 concerts. We're gone 200 days a year.

Brown: Oh, man. Well, thank you so very much for the marvelous message and the wonderful joy that you bring to all of us.

Medema: Great to be here, Floyd.

Brown: Ken Medema, you're the best. I've really enjoyed it. Now you are going to sing another song for us before we go. "Why Am I Afraid to Love" is the title.

Medema: That's right.

 

Why Am I Afraid to Love? Am I afraid of losing what I give in love? Am I afraid of giving what's not wanted? Am I afraid you'll use me if I pour out my heart? Why? Why am I afraid to love? Am I afraid of loving for myself? Am I afraid my love will be un-taken? Am I afraid that somehow you will turn me away? Why? Why am I afraid to love? Am I afraid of pleading? Am I afraid of bleeding? Am I afraid of trying? Am I afraid of crying? Am I afraid of dying all for love...all for love? Oh Jesus, love me now, again I pray. Hold me close to your breast and let me stay. Let perfect love work in me, casting out my fear. Teach me not to be afraid to love. No, not to be afraid to love. You know how hard it is to love.

Brown: Ken, thank you. You are terrific!

Medema: Thank you.