Editor’ s Notes
Stand by Me by Fr. Richard Bayuk, c. pp. s., Editor
“ Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! This little light of mine, I ' m gonna let it shine!” As the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex( otherwise known as Harry and Meghan) left the chapel following their wedding, those words rang out through the voices of the Kingdom Choir, a multi-denominational black gospel group from the south of England. Given the song’ s history and the diversity injected into the British royal family through this marriage, plus its enduring message, it was an inspired choice to close the ceremony.
“ This Little Light of Mine” was written in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, a teacher at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, who came up with the catchy tune as a Bible lesson for children. In the 1950s, the song was modified by activists in the Civil Rights Movement in the U. S. and became one of its most popular anthems.
For most wedding participants and viewers, it was the choir’ s rendition of“ Stand By Me” that was the most moving, coming as it did just before the exchange of vows. Again, the history of the song is helpful. The lyrics, written by two Jewish composers, are clearly derived from Psalm 46 of the Hebrew Scriptures:“ God is our refuge and our strength, an everpresent help in distress. Thus, we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging.” It has more remote origins in a hymn with the same name, composed in 1905 by Charles Tindley, an African- American Methodist minister and noted preacher. It was first recorded and popularized by Ben E. King in 1961.
When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon is the only light we ' ll see No I won ' t be afraid, No I won ' t be afraid Just as long as you stand, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon Should tumble and fall Or the mountains should crumble to the sea I won ' t cry, I won ' t cry No I won ' t shed a tear Just as long as you stand, stand by me
The song is about love but also packs a political message. Meant to foster solidarity and friendship through its lyrics, it too gained a great deal continued on page 7
2 • The New Wine Press • June 2018