Be Thou My Vision

The story behind the hymn Be Thou My Vision begins with St. Patrick of the 5th century. When he was just sixteen years old, pirates kidnapped young Patrick and sold him into slavery in Ireland. This caused him to enter adulthood knowing the Gaelic language and Irish customs. He also became a Christian during this time. Years later, he managed to escape and return home to his family in England. While most would've stayed home forever, Patrick chose to go back to Ireland and become a missionary! 

On Easter Sunday in CE 433, the local Irish king Logaire of Tara issued a decree in observation of a pagan festival that prohibited anyone from lighting a flame or candle before the festival had begun. Patrick, refusing to honor anyone but Christ, stood against the king. That morning, Patrick risked his life by climbing to the tallest hill in the area and lighting a huge fire. As the Irish people woke up, they could all see Patrick's defiance of the king. He just could not hide his light. Patrick wanted to show the world that God’s light shines in darkness, and that only He deserves praise. The king was apparently impressed by the devotion and daringness of Patrick, and allowed him despite his defiance to continue his work as Ireland's first Christian missionary. 

Years later, an unknown composer wrote a melody in honor of Patrick's heroism. Called, "Slane," the now-forgotten composer named it after the hill where Patrick shined his light—Slane Hill. Tradition tells that an Irish poet from the 6th century named St. Dallán Forgaill wrote a Gaelic poem entitled Rop tú mo Baile, in honor of St. Patrick. St Dallan went blind in the middle of his life, and the opening verse of the the hymn poignantly draws upon his experience:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Though Dallan must have suffered much from his loss of sight, the effect of this forced darkness was to drive him back to God, his “best thought,” and, whether “by day or night,” his only remaining “light.” When we sing the hymn, we might try closing our eyes; perhaps by sharing just a taste of Dallan’s experience we will experience more deeply his reliance upon God. The second verse expands on the discussion of God’s identity and his presence:

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

The focus seems to be the unity between God and us, between the Father and his son. In fact, there’s some half-hidden Trinitarian theology going on here, since “Word” is a designation of Jesus, and one who is “dwelling” in us is the Holy Spirit. So after the first verse, which calls out to God, this second verse draws us into the relational dynamic of Trinitarian love and indwelling.

There is a middle verse, not normally sung, which provides a lovely request of God to be a defensive and offensive support. The symbolic use of a battle-shield and a sword to invoke the power and protection of God draws on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:16–17), which refers to "the shield of faith" and "the sword of the Spirit":

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight

Be thou my armor, and be thou my might

Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r

Raise thou me heav’nward, o pow’r of my pow’r

Such military symbolism was common in the poetry and hymnnology of Christian monasteries of the period due to the prevalence of clan warfare across Ireland. The fourth verse introduces the idea of God as an “inheritance” and a “treasure”:

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Because God is already present, we who sing realize we are rich! With the riches of God already in hand, we need no longer be anxious for the “riches” of the world, nor for the vanity of “man’s empty praise.” The final verse draws out the implications of all that has come before, and ends with a restatement of the opening theme:

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav’n's Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

The poem makes reference to God as the "High King of Heaven". This depiction of the Christian God as a chieftain or High King (Irish: Ard Rí) is a traditional representation in Irish literature; medieval Irish poetry typically used heroic imagery to cast God as a clan protector. Because the “High King of Heaven” is a treasure that we already have, our “victory” is already won. The only lasting thing that we lack is to finally “reach Heaven’s joys.” The reference to “bright heaven’s Sun” puts us in mind of the eternal “Son,” and “heart of my own heart” recalls the Spirit. Finally, as this song-and-trinitarian-dance comes to its ending, there is a return to the theme of Vision. When we come off the spiritual high of transporting moments of worship, still we look to God to rule and lead us in our everyday walk of faith.

The text of Rop tú mo Baile/ Be Thou My Vision reflects aspects of life in Early Christian Ireland (c.400-800 CE). The prayer belongs to a type known as a lorica—a prayer for protection. Sadly, the oldest existing copy of Forgaill's poem comes from the 14th century, which included no indication of its author. Because no other historical evidence connects Forgaill to the poem, it's impossible to verify the actual origin of the lyrics to Be Thou My Vision. As a result, most hymnals attribute the song to "Anonymous."

As the years passed, Slane and Rop tú mo Baile fell into obscurity. Their authors, once known, faded away into the fogs of time. But in 1905, nearly fifteen hundred years after Saint Patrick lit a flame on Slane Hill, the forgotten hymn re-emerged from the mists of time. Mary Byrne, a 25-year-old university student, discovered the 14th century copy of Rop tú mo Baile and translated it into English for the very first time. Later in 1912, an Irish woman named Eleanor Hull set the words to music. The melody she set it to was none other than "Slane," the medieval tune written in honor of St. Patrick. It first appeared in a hymnal in 1919 and have become one of the most popular hymns of the English history.

Be Thou My Vision is the song of new life. It’s the song of the new life of St. Patrick, who shined his light for Christ. It’s the song of the new life in Ireland, where dead paganism gave way to centuries of vibrant faith. It’s the song of new life in the singer’s heart, where God shines His forgiveness in a sinful soul. And it is the song of new life for the hymn itself, which millions now enjoy again after centuries of obscurity.

No one’s story is done whose pages rest in the hands of the Father. No song is too old that it cannot be sung again in the choir of God’s grace. Be Thou My Vision is a reminder that man’s ways are not God’s ways. The mist descends in the hills and rises to the sky. The mossy mountains crumble and groan. But the grace of God shines bright, as it did on Slane Hill in the days of Saint Patrick.

This sung prayer is rich with imagery of a high view of Christ, the unequaled treasure of finding Him, and our total surrender to His Kingship. Millions worldwide have found in the humble prayer text and lyric tune a vehicle for praise and worship. It offers a singular voice of fierce devotion rooted in medieval Celtic Christianity that is still relevant today.

(Compiled from Internet)

https://youtu.be/Optrm7lF16s