The wind in our sails

The winds of grace are blowing, but it is you who must raise your sails.
~Rabindranath Tagore

BBC radio has been full of  Tagore recently, for it is 150 years since his birth. Also I am doing research on Brick Lane, the largest Bengali community outside Asia, so his name came up there too. As he was a Hindu perhaps his perception of grace was somewhat different from mine, but the imagery and concept are still valid. 

These words  made me search the  song book for a hymn that was elusive, on the edge of my memory.

Jesus be the centre, be my source , be my light , Jesus

Jesus, be the centre, be my hope, be my song, Jesus .

Be the fire in my heart , be the wind in these sails;

Be the reason that I live, Jesus.

Be my vision , be my  path, be my guide, Jesus.

It is a beautiful hymn, but it only covers half of what Tagore said.

We are asking the Christ of Colossians 1 v 15-20 to be so much , to do so much , for us, but the hymn writer  asks little of us, whereas Tagore says  that we must raise the sails. We must put the effort in, we must act in reponse to the wind, the breath of God in our lives.   We can feel the Spirit, we know when it is present, but too often perhaps we sit back and enjoy the experience –unlike the disciples in Acts 2 and on throughout the history of the Church. 

 Any  relationship must be two way if it is to work , and this applies just as much to our relationship with our God.

You could say the winds tell a boat where to go, although  the boatman does have some say in the matter if he puts the effort in  – and they give it the power needed – power that the boatman develops and  learns to use .  Where do we need to go next? What is the wind of God whispering in our inner being?