Here Am I: A Hymn Reflection
Introduction
The words to the hymn “Here Am I” are by Brian Wren, an internationally known writer from the British United Reformed Church, who, in October 1982, penned the text in response to a request from Shelter in Scotland, a housing-provision charity, for their Christmas Service Sheet. With Daniel Charles Damon’s music, composed in 1995, this hymn first appeared in The Faith We Sing, published in 1995. To date, the hymn appears in the Chalice Hymnal, Gather Hymnal, second and third editions, and Sing the Faith.[1]
As a contemporary hymn writer known for his strong interest in social justice, Wren has successfully added to his collection a text that is scripturally based, theologically sound, with images that depict the realities of human conditions. Based on Matthew 25:31–45, the literary structure follows a simple yet powerful interplay between the persona of Jesus Christ, suffering with the homeless, those in poverty, the jobless, and those treated unjustly, and this same Jesus Christ asking the singer or worshipper at the end of each stanza the question, “Where are you?,” thus calling one to a deeper reflection on his or her Christian role and contribution to the lives of the forgotten and the forsaken.
Dan Damon’s STANISLAUS tune, following a 37.65 D 3 meter, is memorable and easy to sing. The simplicity of his melody and rhythm gives a contrasting balance to the painful realities expressed in the text. He also utilizes text painting by assigning the highest note to the syllables cry- in “crying,” want- in “wanting” and to the word “find,” which are all located in the penultimate line, serving as the climax of each stanza.
[1] https://hymnary.org/text/here_am_i_where_underneath_the_bridges
Stanza Analysis
1 Here am I,
Where underneath the bridges
Of our winter cities
Homeless people sleep.
Here am I,
Wherein decaying houses
Little children shiver,
Crying at the cold.
Where are you?
Jesus’ life began as a homeless baby, born in a stable, probably also shivering on that cold night. It is without question that his heart, during his ministry, went with the homeless, regardless of whom and what they were, and where they came from. Today, there is an expectation that human conditions should no longer be so dire as they were in Christ’s time. But we continue to see people living in the streets in every part of the world.
Jesus’ humanitarian compassion certainly includes the children. He declared that the kingdom of God belongs to them (Matt. 19:13–14), and his love for little children is stressed in this text, that children ought not to suffer, deprived of such basic needs as comfortable shelter. The question, “where are you?” can be addressed to families that have forsaken their loved ones, or to a government that turns a blind eye to their needs, or to a Church that prefers to be silent and non-responsive to these issues, or to an individual believer who thinks that his/her faith has nothing to do with showing concern for others.
2 Here am I,
With people in the line-up
Anxious for a hand-out
Aching for a job.
Here am I,
Where pensioners and strikers
Sing and march together
Wanting something new.
Where are you?
In the second stanza, Jesus joins with the jobless persons in their desire for income for personal and/or economic needs of their family. God’s reign is about equality, even in terms of job opportunities. While some jobs might require specialized and specific qualifications, many jobs remain unavailable due to discrimination based on gender, physical personality, mental/physical capability, etc. With a similar situation, pensioners and workers march on the streets to protest inhumane management of what is due to them, crying out for reforms.
Again, the question “where are you?” Where is the company that is supposed to be looking after the welfare of its workers? How can the church help their members who receive unjust wages in the workplace? What is our personal responsibility towards our brothers and sisters who suffer from such forms of oppression?
3 Here am I,
Where two or three are gathered
Ready to be altered,
Sharing wine and bread.
Here am I,
Where those who hear the preaching
Change their way of living,
Find the way of life.
Where are you?
The last stanza seems to be a response to the first and second stanzas, holding that where two or three are gathered in pursuit of justice in the light of Christ’s teachings, they can contribute to the building up of God’s kingdom. Fellowship at the table is a response to Christ’s call for justice, making one ready to offer one’s life as a living sacrifice for the sake of others. Preaching may not necessarily bring good news, but it may be a sort of prophetic means of exposing the truth, a teaching moment, giving awareness to the innocent, and condemning the evil forces that depreciate human life.
Jesus, who inaugurated the Kingdom of God, emphasized justice, equity, fairness, the sanctity of life, empowerment, unity-amidst-diversity, abundance, and sensitivity to the needs of our brethren. And so the question rings again, “Where are we in the building up of Christ’s Kingdom?”
Use in Corporate Worship
This hymn can be used as a communion hymn, or as a response to a sermon about the Kingdom of God. It could also be sung during Labor Sunday, for faith traditions that celebrate such a Sunday. For countries that do not have four seasons, the word “winter” in stanza one may be altered with a word more relevant to their context, of course with the permission and approval from the publisher. Easily sung in unison with the piano or the organ as main accompanying instrument, “Here Am I” also lends itself readily to alternatives that might encourage creativity in our liturgies and more vitality in congregational singing. (Hymnary.org provides a list of available settings for wind, brass, and string instruments, )
The powerful combination of Wren’s text, Damon’s music, the musician’s accompaniment, and the congregation’s singing should make this hymn an incredible musical and theological experience for the community of faith, a hymn worth singing by any faith tradition.
