Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


2.24.2008  

Hymnal

Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts,
Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men,
From the best bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfilled to Thee again.

Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call;
To them that seek Thee Thou art good,
To them that find Thee all in all.

We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still;
We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead,
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.

Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,
Wherever our changeful lot is cast;
Glad when Thy gracious smile we see,
Blessed when our faith can hold Thee fast.

O Jesus, ever with us stay,
Make all our moments calm and bright;
Chase the dark night of sin away,
Shed over the world Thy holy light.


This 12th-century hymn, written by Bernard of Clairvaux, reminds me of many simple truths my soul longs for and must cling to. As I looked up the history behind these wonderful verses, I was struck by something so simple and obvious, yet profound: this hymn is old. If I'd heard of Barnard of Clairvaux before this past week, I can't say that he made much of an impression, as I don't recall hearing his name at all. He's been gone from this earth for some centuries now; when he lived, I doubt he envisioned that some human of varied ethnic descent, living in a country that did not yet exist on a continent that was, in his day, unknown to him and his contemporaries, would research the words to his hymn by means of a mechanism called a "computer" that, in turn, made use of a thing called the "internet." Why do I point out my doubt about Bernard's lack of foresight with a long and complicated run-on sentence?

Simply put, his words tell my story...our story.

I would urge you to read those verses again. Do you feel, as I often do, unfilled and empty, worn to nothing by the wiles of this world? Do you seek Him, and in seeking Him, find that you fail, yet in failure, are shown by His gracious hand that He is making Himself known as your all in all? Have you tasted of the Bread and Fountain, yet hunger and thirst for more of Him still? Is your spirit restless and yearning, wanting naught but to see His smile so as to know that He still smiles when you cannot in the midst of life's ever-changing course? Do you know what it is like to be blinded by sin, to walk in darkness, and want nothing more than to walk in the light of Christ's presence, with Him near, never ever leaving you? If you do, then I would say that you have far more in common with Bernard of Clairvaux than you would have first thought...

...you have Christ.

posted by Bolo | 3:28 PM
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