You heard the cry of our hearts
And You came down
Freely You gave us Your love
Showing us how
Make me an instrument of Your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is darkness let me shine light and
May Your love cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
All that we do without love
It means nothing
Grant us the courage to give
As You’re calling
Make me an instrument of Your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is darkness let me shine light and
May Your love cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
Hope for the hopeless, Your love is
Strength in our weakness, Your love is
May we love, as You love
Hope for the hopeless, Your love is
Strength in our weakness, Your love is
May we love, as You love
(As only You can love, oh God)
May we love, as You love
May we love, as You love
-Open Up, The Brilliance
Music, like writing, often feels like prayer to me. Especially when I look at lyrics like these, I can't help but think of the way music and worship go together so well. If you've grown up in an Evangelical world this seems obvious. We often refer to "worship" as that point in the service when musicians play and sing, inviting the rest of the Church to join in. Most of us understand that worship involves much more than music. But music and poetry have this way of drawing us into conversation with our God. There's something so intimate and genuine about music.
Tonight, I'm resting with just the company of music. Otherwise, it's a quiet night in the dorm. It's been a full week, a long, odd day, and I was craving the kind of rest that only music seems to bring. I've often listened to this song by The Brilliance and prayed along with the musicians. These words, adapted from the St. Francis prayer, humble us. They make us aware of our need for God - his love, his hope, his work through us. We often have good intentions as Christians, especially those of us who are young and eager to do "good work" in the name of Jesus. This prayer reminds me that without the love of Jesus and without his will, we are unable to see good come from our actions. Yes, we can still do good things. But to be ones who bring light and peace to the world, we must be connected to the ultimate source of these lovely things.
The first words of the song make me so happy. He heard the cry of our hearts, the cry of mankind. We needed a Savior, a King, a Messiah. And he answered that cry by coming to us and dwelling with us, showing us how we are to love this world. He also showed us how to pray, how to respond to the Father. When I think of Jesus these days, I'm overwhelmed by his incredible nature. Both God and Man, he knew what it was to see the world hand-made, as well as what it was to feel pain. Amazing. After so many years of knowing and hearing this gospel story, I feel strangely refreshed by the power of who Jesus is. He is hope for a hopeless world and strength for our many weaknesses. He opens us up to a love that is pure and hopeful.
I think one response to knowing the love of Jesus is loving others well. I struggle with compassion - it's not my first response or reaction. As I continue to get to know the Father, I find compassion growing. The more I see it in him, the more I want others to experience it. I'm learning, and often doing pretty poorly, but there's something growing here. So may we love as you love, God. May we be instruments of your peace and hope to those who need you deeply. Open up our hearts to you, and open us up to a love that reflects your character to others.
Amen.