Lord Jesus Christ, My Life, My Light
Lord Jesus Christ, My Life, My Light
Lord Jesus Christ, my Life, my Light,
My Strength by day, my Trust by night,
On earth I’m but a passing guest
And sorely with my sins opprest.
Far off I see my fatherland,
Where thro’ Thy blood I hope to stand.
But ere I reach that Paradise,
A weary way before me lies.
My heart sinks at the journey’s length,
My wasted flesh has little strength;
My soul alone still cries in me:
“Lord, take me home, take me to Thee!”
Oh, let Thy suff’rings give me pow’r
To meet the last and darkest hour!
Thy blood refresh and comfort me;
Thy bonds and fetters make me free.
Oh, let Thy holy wounds for me
Clefts in the rock forever be
Where as a dove my soul can hide
And safe from Satan’s rage abide.
And when my spirit flies away,
Thy dying words shall be my stay.
Thy cross shall be my staff in life,
Thy holy grave my rest from strife.
Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)
IMAGINE BEING UPROOTED from your homeland and forced to flee to a new land. Imagine being forbidden to worship in your church. Imagine being threatened with imprisonment and even death just because of what you believe. And imagine that your tormentors are not atheist scoundrels but people who claim to be Christians themselves. Where can you turn for help? Only to God.
In the upheaval that followed the Protestant Reformation, many devout Christians were caught between the warring Protestants and Catholics. It quickly became a political struggle that had little to do with true faith. Believers could only hope that God would somehow give them a place to hide. They found comfort and strength in focusing on their personal relationship with God and their eternal home in heaven. This hymn reflects that sentiment.
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
John 20:28-29
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