Lead, Kindly Light

I can't remember the first time I saw this picture, nor can I remember how long the hymn, whose name it bears, was my favorite in our church's hymnal. I don't know which came first. For a long time, I didn't even know the connection between the two; I didn't know the title of the painting I loved so much. When I found out, I was stunned. The relationship between art and poetry has been a personal passion ever since I studied the work of William Blake, in my undergrad days as a literature major. This revelation brought my love for the artwork and my passion for the hymn full circle.

May I share the lyrics by John Henry Newman, stanza by stanza:

"Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom,
lead thou me on;
the night is dark, and I am far from home;
lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
the distant scene; one step enough for me."

We all experience "encircling gloom" in one way or another. Whether it be tragedy that strikes so violently and without warning or simply the day-by-day struggle to endure, we all know. And we all feel "far from home" now and then. Sometimes we feel far from our Heavenly Home and the nurture of our loving Heavenly Parents. Other times we feel isolated right here in this world, far from a figurative home, far from peace and safety, whether physical or emotional. Everyone, at one time or another, fears the future. What if _______? How comforting to be led by his "kindly light," one step at a time.

"I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
lead thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years."

But no, we never do it perfectly, do we? We look back on failures, when we lost our faith or at least let it slip for awhile. "Pride ruled my will,": indeed, our desire to shape our own destiny rather than follow his plan, as we "love the garish day."  Thank goodness for the marvelous gift of repentance, that puts us right back on the path toward Heaven and welcomes the light to lead.

"So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still
will lead me on,
o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
the night is gone,
and with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile."

Always the reassurance of God's grace! He loves us, and he wants us back. And barring interfering with our agency, he'll do anything he can to guide us home, where "angel faces smile."

This painting hangs in the entryway of the clothing section of Deseret Book here in Midvale. Every time I go in, I stop for a few minutes and admire it. Since learning of its title, I stay a bit longer, pondering the words to my favorite hymn. Then I go home and tell my family that one day the picture will hang in our home.

When would that happen? I had no idea. Newly grown-up kids are way more expensive than little ones, with college, missions, weddings to pay for. I knew I'd have it one day. I didn't know when that day would be.

But Eli and Amanda decided it would be now. They gathered some financial support from Shulamith, Isaiah, and Seth and had the painting wrapped and ready for me Christmas morning. The surprise was paralyzing. I had no words, which as most of you know, is a rare occurrence. Thanks to Eli, it now hangs in the entryway of our home, the first thing you see when you walk in. You need to come over and see it in person; the picture above doesn't come close to revealing its beauty.

May it be a reminder to all who enter of the light that leads us home.