Send The Light
There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,
Send the light! Send the light!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
We have heard the Macedonian call today,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a golden off’ring at the cross we lay,
Send the light! Send the light!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a Christlike spirit everywhere be found,
Send the light! Send the light!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
Let us not grow weary in the work of love,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
Let us gather jewels for a crown above,
Send the light! Send the light!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light, the blessed Gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!
Written by Charles Gabriel in the early 1900’s, this hymn provides an interesting take on the the spreading of the Gospel message. Rather than a command to “Be the light” or “shine your light,” the author encourages us to “send the light.” Jesus said “You are the light of the world” in Matthew 5. He also told us in that same chapter “so let your light shine before me.” So is this hymn encouraging us to be “passive” in the spreading of the Gospel message? To just send someone else to do the work of proclaiming the Good news? No, I don’t believe so. What I do believe is that the author is encouraging us to do two specific things: (1) to do what God did – to mirror His example. God sent the light to the world. God sent His only begotten Son into the world. We are called to be a “going, telling people,” but we are also called to be a “sending” people. We are to invest in the lives of others and send them around the world that the Gospel message might be carried from shore to shore. (2) I believe the words echo the prayer of the “Macedonia” man found in Acts 16. His prayer was for help – Please send the light!! That is what I believe the author is trying to encourage us to do. To heed the call for help from around the world and to send the light. I pray these great words found in a song written almost 100 years ago will encourage you today to send your light.
One of the great things about hymns is that the point us back to Scripture so many times. When you read the lyric, "We have heard the Macedonian call today," the question may have popped in your head “What is the Macedonian call?” Well, here’s what Acts Chapter 16 says. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” God giving Paul a vision of a man. A man crying out for help. Paul responded immediately to that call. I believe today God can still give us a vision and a burden for certain people. It may be thousands of miles away, and it may be in your own neighborhood. But God can speak to your heart with a burden to send the light to someone you have never met before. The question is how will we respond to the hearing of that Macedonian Call in our life?
Just a note, for the past several weeks, I've been suffering from debilitating migraines that come and go. Last night I was suffering the effects of one of these migraines. I've had headaches all my life and about once ever six months or so I get really bad one. However, for the past several weeks I've had one that has come and gone and varied in intensity from severe to mild. I had prepared to continue my series on the First Epistle of John today, but I just wasn't able to do so. These hymn posts are much easier to write, which is why I did one for today. Hopefully, I will be able to continue my study of the First Epistle of John next week.
9 comments:
Hope you get some sustained relief from the migraines soon.
I notice your image is of a young man playing the piano. I am familiar with this hymn from my Church of Christ childhood, but we did not have instrumental music, of course.
Hope you are feeling better soon. LOVE AND HUGS Jeff
You're right, there is no piano in church, and though I thought about that, I still thought the piano player would fit for a song. Besides, this is one song that I can't even imagine it with a piano. I've heard it to music once but not in church and it's much more beautiful A Capella.
Thanks, Jeff.
Joe,
My mother tells me that some CofC now have instrumental music in church. Of course, when one is strictly congregational in organization, this can happen, I suppose.
When I was a kid and told people we were CofC, the usual response was, "Oh, yeah. You don't have music in church." As if a cappella were not sublime music!
Oh man, I think you need to see a doctor. If they're getting worse, you need to check for a cause. As well as new/better treatments.
I love the hymn, and the post!
Peace <3
Jay
Jay, I think I know the cause, but I need a little more time to figure it out. Either way, I'm gonna get my prescription refilled and hope it will lessen the pain.
I'm glad you liked the hymn.
Hope you get to feeling better soon. ((hugs))
WoW,,,,, JUST found your blog and my head is spinning. WoW... you had me with the post about "Send the Light" as well as answered a question of mine. [ I was hired as music director at a CoC in the mid-1970's. Most people there wanted / desired the piano/organ accomp. but one lady was angry as heck about it. I never truly understood her anger. WoW.] At any rate I will be a devotee of yours hereafter. KEEP POSTING !!!
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