January 25, 2010

“The Servant Song”
by Pastor George Van Alstine

Our old friend Virgil Olson called my attention to this simple hymn that has been circulating quietly among thoughtful Christians worldwide. It was written by Richard Gillard of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1977, and it is sung to a simple folk melody. You can hear several versions of it on You Tube.

Will you let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
we are travelers on the road;
We are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we've seen this journey through.

Will you let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant, too.

I think the author of this song must have had in mind Jesus' words to his disciples after he had washed their feet:
"So, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." (John 13:14)

Our impulse to help the suffering people of Haiti is an extension of this desire to be "as Christ" to others. So is our faithfulness in working at the Bad Weather Shelter and in other ministries to the poor and hurting around us.

But the song rightly points out that this servanthood is designed by the Lord to go both ways. Let's not forget that he received foot-washing from them as well. He was willing to serve and to be served. Some of us think it is demeaning to receive help from others. This is just pride. We all need to be both servants and served.

As we are helping the Haitians, we should also be asking, What can they offer us? What do they have to share with us about values, about spirituality, about the dangers of materialism? And when we are ministering to the homeless folk on the streets of Pasadena, we should be wondering why God brought these particular individuals into our lives. What insights into the meaning of our life does God want us to learn through them? As we approach our helping ministries, we need always to be alert to how the ones we are helping are being "as Christ" to us, for we have many unmet needs that are satisfied as we serve.

So, as we approach a person to whom we are ministering in Christ's name, we should ask, as the song does
"Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too."