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1. This little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
this little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
this little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
2. Ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
ev'rywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
3. Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine;
Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
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I am grateful for the songs that get written on our hearts so early on. Some of them are timeless, taught just like grandma learned them in Sunday School. Others go rogue from one generation to the next, picking up alternative melodies, verses and goofy hand motions.
"This Little Light of Mine" has a reputation in both categories. My kids know verses about shining their light through the four seasons, around their neighborhood and out in the cold of night. They giggle after each suggestion to hide it under a bushel--"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"--and trying to blow each other's candles out has even turned rough and tumble.
But they can also stand quietly between wheelchairs in a memory care unit with the greatest generation, singing what dementia cannot erase. They can hold one finger in the air and follow the lead of those who sing quietly and somberly an ancient testimony. What a gift this song has been to so many!
God of light, dwell brightly among your people of every age, every time and every place. Write your words and songs on our hearts so that everywhere we go, we're going to let it shine. Amen.
Meta Herrick Carlson, '08
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities/Minnetonka Campus Pastor, Minneapolis, Minn.
The Luther Seminary
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