Reflections

I have found that one of the most stimulating aspects of engaging with Christianity as a member of the church is moments when I recognize connections between Biblical text and church hymns. Sometimes these moments occur when I am reading a Bible passage; and I recall lyrics from a recently sung church hymn. At other times, I recognize Biblical language while I am singing a church hymn with the rest of the congregation.

Church hymns have a unique power to bring Biblical text to life in a communal setting. They help a Christian to understand the meani

ng of the text but also to experience, in community with others, the emotions that a specific passage tends to evoke.

Perhaps my favorite hymn is “Christ, Be Our Light” by Bernadette Farrell, published in 1993. I love this hymn for several reasons, not the least of which is the suggestion that Christ lights our way when we find ourselves in the darkness. Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world . . . Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” John 8:12. Good News Bible: Today’s English Version. Linking the language of the hymn with the specific Bible passage deepens my spiritual and emotional understanding of the verse.

Additionally, even though the focus of the hymn is on the guiding light of Christ, one finds similar imagery in the Old Testament. For example, in Psalms 27:1 of the King James Version of the Bible, we read: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” This hymn helped me to seek and find connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I have found these spiritual investigations to be extremely valuable because the compatibility of the Old Testament and the New Testament can be difficult for a Christian to understand.

My favorite part of this hymn appears near the end of the final verse in what seems to me to be its climax: “Let us be servants to one another, Making your Kingdom come.” This lyric never grows old for me, no matter how many times I reflect on it. It reveals to me how essential the worldly dimension of the Christian faith is while clarifying exactly what our role is in bringing about the arrival of the Kingdom.

This lyric also helps me understand what Jesus meant when he challenged the Pharisees. When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would arrive, he told them that the “Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen” but rather “the Kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21. Good News Bible: Today’s English Version. The arrival of the Kingdom then is not an event that we passively wait to occur. We must bring it about if we wish to experience it. Christ thus instructed the crowds in his Sermon on the Mount, telling them: “In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. Good News Bible: Today’s English Version. Just as we wish Christ to serve as our guiding light, we are also called to share Christ’s light with others. I am proud to be a member of a church in which I see people share the light of Christ every day in their volunteer activities and selfless acts of kindness.

Dan Saros