One of the great hymns of the church is “Beams of Heaven as I Go.” The hymn writer was Rev. Charles Albert Tindley, who was a Minister and gospel music composer. He also wrote hymns such as “The Storm Is Passing Over,” “We’ll Understand It Better By and By,” and “When The Storms of Life Are Ragin.” Rev. Tindley wrote nearly 47 hymns and was considered one of the founding Fathers of American Gospel Music.
In the hymn, “Beams of Heaven,” he wrote these words:
Beams of heaven as I go, through this wilderness below
Guide my feet in peaceful ways, turn my midnights into day
When in the darkness I would grope, faith always sees a star of hope,
And soon from all life’s grief and danger, I shall be free someday.
In the first line of the chorus, we discover:
I do not know how long ‘twill’ be, nor what the future holds for me…
Allow me to suggest to you that the message communicated through the lyrics of this hymn resonates in my spirit. There is so much uncertainty about the present and the future that the words of the chorus could be sung by each of us. None of us knows “how long” or “what the future holds.” Well, the hymns of Rev. Charles Tindley were considered congregational songs. Congregational singing brings the worshipping community together to declare their faith. It brings the people together as one and unites generations worshipping together.
During this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have faced uncertainty as a church, a people, and a nation. However, please be reminded that the Apostle Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) that our life is a matter of faith, not of sight, and he says: “we walk by faith; not by sight.” I have discovered that during this time of uncertainty, opportunities often arise in the face of uncertainty. I have also been reminded that change is good and sometimes only occurs out of necessity.
I am grateful that Rev. Charles Tindley left us with a hymn. This hymn reminds me that what we are going through is nothing new. The virus is new, but the uncertainty is not new. I thank God for the hymns of the church. They provide us with:
Blessings,
Your Pastor
Rev. Dr. R.E. Hedgeman, Pastor