"Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"
You might wonder why we entitled our Blog “lights along the shore”? We have many missionary songs that inspire us and we love. There is one, however, that stands out and seems fitting since we have the great honor to serve in Ghana, presiding over the Cape Coast Mission where the boundaries of our mission take in most of Ghana’s shoreline.
In our orthodontic office hangs a picture that was painted for us by a friend, Brian Call. He is an LDS artist in Idaho Falls, Idaho. In High School, President Hillam sang in a Barbershop Quartet with several of his good friends. Occasionally they would be asked to sing in church, mostly for their friends who were leaving to go on missions. One of the songs that they sang often was "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy". It is a beautiful song written for men's voices. It describes the relationship that we have with our Heavenly Father in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
There are three main things to know about this picture and the song. First, notice in the picture that there is a lighthouse on a mountain. Second, notice that there is a second set of lights along the shore. Third, the most obvious, the three people in the boat trying to make the harbor amid the wind and waves. Remember in geometry class that two points make a straight line. The lighthouse and the lights on the shore make up a straight line for the mariners to follow in order to make safe passage into the harbor.
The words and imagery of this song were so impactful that it quickly became a favorite missionary song. The lyrics of the song are as follows:
1. Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
(Chorus)
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
2. Dark the night of sin has settled;
Loud the angry billows roar.
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.
3. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.
Here is a link to a group singing "Brightly Beams our Father Mercy"
The first verse depicts how the Father's light shines to all the world and can be seen from any direction. His light beckons to us from on high to come to Him. But...His children cannot safely navigate into the harbor unless they enter in correctly, along a straight and safe course heading. In order to ensure that His children make safe passage, our Heavenly Father has given us the responsibility to shine the "lights along the shore" giving those who want to navigate safely into the harbor a “straight line” to follow. It beautifully depicts the divine and eternal relationship we have with our Heavenly Father to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our fellowmen.
In the chorus we find encouragement and motivation for us to shine our “lower lights” brightly so that those who are struggling to make the harbor can see it and safely make it home. If we shine our light bright, who knows maybe we will rescue one of His children?
The second verse illustrates our day. Sin and corruption is everywhere. Where do you turn to find the truth? If we keep our lower lights bright, those who are ready and seeking to find the true and everlasting gospel will find it amid the darkness and sin of the world.
The third verse asks us to trim our lamps. This has reference to an oil lamp. If an oil lamp’s wick becomes charred and corrupted, the light will not burn as bright. The flame emits soot that blackens the chimney which additionally limits how effective the light is emanating from the lamp. To keep our light bright we too need to figuratively "trim our lamps". Trimming our lamp removes the charred portion of the wick, this has some beautiful symbolism which includes, keeping ourselves worthy, repentance, strengthening our testimonies of the Savior, being good examples of believers, honesty, integrity, kindness, charity, and service, to name a few.
The symbolism of this song is the reason why this is one of our favorite missionary songs. We loved seeing this painting in our office every day reminding us to keep "the lower lights burning". It is our humble hope that we can take our divine responsibility of keeping "the lower lights burning” seriously. We pray that we will keep our wicks trimmed so that our light burns brightly and efficiently to the world, especially in Ghana.
