Recently this hymn has pleasantly been following me around. I was having one of those chapels where I simply could not pay attention. So, to pass the time, I pulled out the hymnal and began to thumb through it. I stumbled onto "Be Thou My Vision". Reading through the hymn I realized how awesome the words are (see below for all). "Not be all else to me save that thou art"! What an amazing statement if you can truly sing it. Everything in this world is rubbish to me, save that God is. Sounds a lot like Paul doesn't it (Phil 3:8). So I left chapel humming the tune and meditating on the lyrics.
In my next class, Christianity and Western Culture, my teacher talked about how we must draw from our spiritual heritage. It was a brilliant lecture on the truth that we are preceeded by a host of men who have fought for our faith, and we would do well not to forget them and what they said. It thought of the old song I had just read in the hymnal.
Next class is intro to music. My professor enters and says "today, let's sing together". I jokingly thought to myself it would be funny if we sang Be Thou My Vision. Before my thoughts had even settled my professor told us to turn to Be Thou My Vision. We sang it, and then he proceded to tell us a little more about this hymn. The music is actually from around the year 600! It's that old, and we are still singing it today.
All this to say, this is a great hymn with challenging lyrics. I love it and it constantly challenges me. Read the lyrics and I challenge you to sing them knowing exactly what they are saying. Is all else "not" as long as God is?
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
