Another astonishing chant/song about the Spirit from John Bell and Graham Maule of Wild Goose. Listen to the excerpt at AOV to hear how good this song can sound. There is background and commentary about the song at this blog.
My backing is at 85 bpm.
Verse 1
She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters,
Hovering on the chaos of the world’s first day;
She sighs and she sings, mothering creation,
Waiting to give birth to all the Word will say.
Verse 2
She wings over earth, resting where she wishes,
Lighting close at hand or soaring through the skies;
She nests in the womb, welcoming each wonder,
Nourishing potential hidden to our eyes.
Verse 3
She dances in fire, startling her spectators,
Waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned;
She weans and inspires all whose hearts are open,
Nor can she be captured, silenced or restrained.
Verse 4
For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence,
Gifted by the Saviour in eternal love;
She is the key opening the scriptures,
Enemy of apathy and heavenly dove.
© WGRG, Iona Community, 1988.
http://www.iona.org.uk/wgrg_home.php
I am sad that of all this, the title you bring out is “enemy of apathy”. If I took a title from the words of the song, it would be, “waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned”.
Yes and no!
What it does do is make you sit up and think.
We certainly need an enemy of apathy these days…