Hymn: “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” – Christian H. Bateman (1813-1889)
Typical Tune: MADRID
This grand old hymn calls us
all to combine our voices in song. I guess its title could have been tattooed across
my forehead for my ministry, because this is exactly what I was calling folks
to do – luring them to join the song of
the blessed.
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| British Artist: Ghislaine Howard |
As we sing through this text,
all the phrases make sense; they’re all praise-y and typical-ish until we get
to today’s hymn-line. Condescend? Isn’t that a negative
word? Doesn’t that mean that he will talk down to us or treat us with disrespect?
In our vernacular, this is a patronizing word – not one I attach to the Savior
Christ. “Descend” I would automatically comprehend; but “condescend”? Not so
much.
I admit that I always take a
momentary time-out while I remind myself that this word (especially at the time
of its penning) can also mean to stoop, to lower oneself… or to use an even
more archaic word: deign.
“He humbled himself…”
(Philippians 2:8) He stooped to wash the feet of his disciples. He bent down
and blessed the children along his path. We have plenty of Bible-story
snapshots of the holiest-of-all bending to where the lowest-of-the-lowly were.
Jesus, he meets you
where you are.
Jesus,
he heals your broken scars.
All
the love you’re longing for,
All
the love you need is
Jesus,
the Friend of the wounded heart.
It’s that kind of sentiment
that I must admit when I sing “to us he’ll
condescend.” THEN I will not only understand what the word means, I
will experience what the word tells me about how Jesus treats me…
meeting me where I am, befriending my wounded heart.
Come on, Christians! It’s a hymn-line
worth singing!
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