Today I once again experienced the truth that if I’m stumbling over the lyrics to a song, it’s because I haven’t gone deep enough in understanding what I’m singing.
The opening song for today’s service was “I Wander With Thee,” one of Swami Kriyananda’s St. Francis songs. It’s a perky tune, sung in unison, and I think it’s often relegated to the category of “easy, simple, doesn’t have a lot to it.”
But it actually has a powerful message, which I was glad to finally tune into!
This is the introduction to the song written by Swamiji:
“In the spirit of St. Francis
Let us roam the earth
Spreading God’s joy everywhere,
And inflaming hearts with divine love.”
And here are the lyrics:
Father, now that I wander with Thee,
Flow’rs and fields are alive with Thy joy!
All that I owned to Thee I’ve given,
Now I sing: In Thy love I am free!
Father now that I dance in Thy name,
Birds and animals share in my song!
All my sorrows, all my merriment,
Join in music to set hearts aflame!