Standing By Me – with Ben, Tom and Caroline

At our Music for Wellbeing Group yesterday we sung the old Ben E King song ‘Stand by Me’. The accompaniment of ukeleles, guitar, accordion and various percussion produced a unique sound that expressed enthusiasm and enjoyment.

We’ve been watching of The BBC One show ‘Race Across the World’. At the start five pairs of contestants left the Great Wall of China, north of Beijing. On Wednesday we saw the final episode as about 8,700 miles and 51 days later they arrived in Kanniyakumari on the southernmost tip of India.

The winners were a mother and son, Caroline and Tom Bridge. Because they come from Hargrave, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, they’ve been interviewed on local news programmes.

Caroline described how the experience had strengthened their relationship: ‘It has brought us closer, we now try and have a bit more time for each other… We actually make time to stop and enjoy the simple things together.’

When we sung ‘Stand by Me’ yesterday I was thinking about their relationship:

‘When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we’ll see
No, I won’t be afraid
Oh, I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.’

Throughout ‘Race Across the World’ we saw how being together had made Caroline and Tom stronger people. In her interview Caroline said: ‘You’re so tired, so dirty, so hungry and you really feel like you’ve got nothing left in the tank but you just have to keep plodding on…’

Stand by Me is a love song… about love that involves loyalty, determination, commitment. Its roots are in Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

This is about a relationship with God… concluding ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ It’s a God who will ‘Stand by Me’.