A few years ago I had the opportunity to be part of a house blessing in Pass Christian Mississippi, which is located 45 minutes down the coast from New Orleans.
It was for a woman whose house was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. She shares the story with seemingly thousands of others. The hurricane hit, her house flooded, she was left stranded on her roof for a few days with limited water.
She was one of those people we saw on the news sitting on her roof waiting for help.
In partnership with Mennonite Disaster Service, and empowered by our church, we took the youth group I was pastoring to Pass Christian Mississippi to help build houses. During our week we had the opportunity to put the finishing touches on this lady’s house.
During the ceremony where we handed over the keys we sang this song. It was the first time I paid attention to the words of this particular hymn.
Will You Let Me Be Your Servant?
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav’lers on the road.
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I’ll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to god in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
At this moment, singing this song with my youth group from Manitoba and people from Pass Christian I realized something that strikes at the very essence of faith in Jesus…
We are on this journey together. United in our common humanity, we weep, we laugh, we share in joy and sorrow till we see this journey through no matter the colour of our skin or gender or age. No one man or woman greater than the other. It is hard to be a servant to someone you feel is ‘lesser’ than you. To assume this place of common equality turns the question on its head.
Imagine the people you serve at soup kitchens, drop in centres, food banks, homeless shelters asking you… “Will you let me be your servant?”
What is it like to see yourself as a servant as opposed to a hero? How do you feel when you are served by others?
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