Monday, April 15, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“In Christ There Is No East or West”

In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

In Christ shall true hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close-binding humankind.

by John Oxenham
Hymn 317, Glory to God
verse 1–2



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Reflection

Each time I greet this hymn, I recall the Kipling poem that begins, “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.”

Hymnologist J. R. Watson contends John Oxenham took his hymn’s opening from the Kipling poem. But Watson and others also contend the hymn is the antithesis of Kipling’s verse, which they consider racist.

They’re mistaken. Kindly follow my, well, direction. Both the hymn and the rest of the Kipling verse make plain that we’re all equal in God’s eyes regardless of class, race — and geography.

Exploring today’s hymn with Kipling’s verse may seem odd for a devotion. But striking similarities exist between them. The hymn’s theme is from Galatians 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ.” And Kipling’s theme is from Psalm 103:12: “Look how wide also the east is from the west: so far hath he set our sins from us.” Indeed, the hymn’s stanza three was rewritten to make Oxenham’s language more inclusive by basing it on the Galatians passage.

Our Glory to God hymnal has two versions of the hymn. The first uses a tune adapted from a spiritual by African American composer Harry Burleigh. The second is the standard tune by American composer Alexander Reinagle.

Whichever tune you favor, the hymn’s message resounds. We’re all part of God’s deep and abiding love. And for true hearts everywhere, as the hymn notes, “his service is the golden cord close-binding humankind.”

A beautiful rendition of the hymn can be found here.

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Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for offering direction to our lives wherever we reside. And for loving us unconditionally. Amen.

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Written by Tim Schellhardt, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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