Lead Kindly Light

Celestial navigation. Sailing and navigating by the position of the stars. And, during the day, the "star", our sun, can be used for navigation. Today, we have numerous sophisticated devices to give us our position on earth and show us what direction we should travel. With all of these devices, it is tempting to discard the old-fashioned ways of navigating but there is no guarantee the sophisticated devices will be available. There is the similar parallel in our spiritual lives. We want and hope to see the "blazing sun" guiding our direction but often we must carefully look for the quiet light of the twinkling star to mark our path. This was the lesson learned by John Henry Newman that caused him to pen Lead Kindly Light. In addition, his desire for direction is somewhat reminiscent of Elijah's "journey". God answered Elijah's prayer in front of Baal's prophets, sending the consuming fire on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. Later, when God spoke to Elijah, it was in the still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). Let us maintain the strong, intimate relationship with Christ that allows us to see His twinkling star or His bright sun.

Article taken from Living Stories of Famous Hymns by Ernest K. Emurian. Copyright © 1955 by Baker Book House Company. Used by permission of Baker Book House Company.