This little light of mine
Original Credit to Harry Dixon
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
When I hear that song I think of it as a children’s song. One sung in Sunday School or Preschool Chapels. Recently I learned the fascinating history behind that song. It is really so much more than a children’s song. Some credit the original writing to Harry Dixon in the 1920s, a gospel song inspired by verses of the bible, such as Matthew 5: 14-16 where Jesus says
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
In the 1960s Zilphia Horton adapted this song and made it well know as a theme song in connection with the civil rights movement. It was a song that brought strength to those standing against injustice.
“When sung in defiance, when used to call out the darkness of racism and oppression and hate, and when affirming the God-breathed dignity that flickers within every one of us, “This Little Light of Mine” becomes so much more than a camp song. It becomes gospel truth”
Author Unknown
I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that it was sung as a children’s song. And it’s rich history began to fade. Given all that is happening in our world today, maybe it’s time we remember the song for more than a simple children’s song.
This little light of mine, how am I going to let it shine?
Not being one to get myself involved in the political or social debates on public forms I am finding it hard to know where and how to speak. Yet, silence feels like welcoming more darkness rather than shining my light. So then comes the nagging question. How do we shine our lights? How do we do better? How do we teach our children that what they see and hear on the news is not how we were designed to live?
Turn on the news, open any social media feed and the world feels as if it is covered in a blanket of darkness and hate. Daily news filled with sadness, hatred, political manipulation, inconsiderate acts, thoughtless acts. It feels harder and harder to find the helpers. To find the light in the stories.
When I light one candle I get a small glow of light, but when I light many candles and put them together it fills a room with light. We are not all called to shine the same way. We have different gifts and abilities, we are in different life stages. But we can all start where we are at.
We can change our mindset to think not only of our own comfort, our own rights but the comfort of others. We can remember that many small acts of kindness grow together to make a big difference. Rather than be divided by opinion, politics, religion we can commit to learn from one another and recognize we don’t have to agree to be friends, to show love. We can teach our children a better way to communicate. Not with hate and malice but with kindness.
Next time we light a candle in our homes, let’s remember the words of the song.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
