Be Thou My Vision (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 793)
1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
thou my best thought both by day and by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r,
raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
3 Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
4 Light of my soul, after victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Text: Irish; Music: Irish traditional; Public Domain
Devotion
“Be Thou My Vision” is a hymn about God guiding our vision. Through God’s eyes, we see a clearer view of the suffering of our world. Stories of our ancestors, including the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, are not confined to the past. Sexual Assault is a common experience of our time now. The story sets the stage for sexual violence to be known. God did not turn his eyes away from those being harmed. We are also called to know the harsh realities of violence for those vulnerable to it. When our hearts are drawn into the perils for those suffering, God’s justice and compassion will guide us to shape our responses. As church, may God guide our vision of the pain carried by so many in our own pews who are affected by sexual violence so we can be places of healing, accountability, and hope.
Prayer
O God Who Sees, guide our vision so we may see the world through your eyes. Open our hearts to what breaks yours. Amen.