Three “prayer songs of blessing” based on John 17.20-26

Jean Valjean’s Death in Les Miserables musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel by Claude-Michel Schönberg (music), and Herbert Kretzmer (English lyrics).

God...

on...

high

hear my prayer
Take me now

to thy care
Where you are

let me be
Take me now,
take me there

Bring me home
Bring me home
Take my hand
And lead me to salvation
Take my love
For love is everlasting
And remember
The truth that once was spoken:
To love another person
is to see the face of God!

 Forever Young written by Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you.

May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

 May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

“Forever Young” is a prayer blessing song that Bob Dylan wrote in 1966 for his son Jesse. It is an outpouring of abundant grace and extravagant love expressing Bob Dylan’s intense hope that his son would have a good life. “God on high hear my prayer” is the final scene in the musical by Shonberg Les Misearbles. It is an utterly beautiful blessing that Jean Valjean prays at the end of his life. Valjean overflows with love for his adopted daughter and his son in law and wants them to know that love is the essence of life. In knowing love, they will see the face of God. In both these songs we are intruding on a very intimate, vulnerable scene when one human being is divinised in praying love into another human being. It is the very same with John 17, we are eavesdropping on a scene of great intimacy. John 17 is not a “to do list”, nor is an indictment on when the church has failed to be what it hopes it could be. Rather, John 17, like “Forever young” and “God on high” is a prayer blessing song one human being prays for people they deeply love.

John 17 shows Jesus in a personal and private moment of prayer. Having finished his public work, and having finished teaching and being with his disciples, Jesus steps into a prayer. We eavesdrop on his words. 

Bob Dylan, Jesus, and Jean Valjean pray for the people that they have loved that they will continue to feel loved and protected by God’s grace. Bob Dylan prays “May you know the truth and see the light surrounding you”. Jean Valjean prays “bring me home” and Jesus prays “you and I are one.” Ultimately both Jesus and Jean Valjean portray the message that the love of God and the love of others is one love: to love another person is to see the face of God. Thus, in every moment of authentic self-emptying love we are one with God and one with Christ, just as the Christ and the Creator are one. 

Jesus says that at the heart of the experience of eternal life is to know God. To know God is love God. To be very clear eternal life is something that is experienced right here, right now. It is not a future place or a future experience. Eternal life is to experience a living relationship with God in Jesus animated by the Holy Spirit. Eternal life is a love affair with God and it is experienced in everyday life moment by moment.   

 We know, taste, touch experience the love of God in every moment of being loved by another and in every moment of loving another. In every moment that we experience being loved and in every moment of loving another we are at that moment experiencing the unfolding of God’s love and God’s presence. The love that flows into us, that love that flows out of us is the Divine, the Sacred within us flourishing.  

The impulse to love is the seed of God’s very presence deep within in us. And this is precisely our struggle. God’s presence is in us as something quiet, hidden, often invisible. Jesus said God’s love and presence inside us like a bit of yeast in dough, it is hidden. Jesus said God’s presence in us is like an insignificant and almost invisible mustard seed that surprises us with its growth into a large tree. So too, God’s presence is inside us, vulnerable, hidden, gentle, not dramatic, not earthshattering and for this reason it is easily ignored, easily forgotten, easily overlooked, seldom overpowering.  

The only thing this hidden presence of God in us seems to have in its favour is its gentle, unending, unwavering, nagging persistence. Unendingly and persistently it entices love from us. Like that piece of yeast that cannot help itself but cause the dough to grow and like that seed that cannot help itself but grow and become a tree so too is it with God’s presence that is hidden in the depths of our lives. God’s presence in us cannot help itself – it reaches out and touches others in every expression of love, gentleness, caring and kindness we offer another creature. The trick is to allow this persistent nudging to move us out of apathy as more and more we allow God’s love in us to grow. What we experience then is the Holy Spirit, the presence of God within us and this Holy Spirit will energise us for more loving, it will give us every gift necessary to love well and it will fulfil us in ways beyond our imagining.  

A concluding (and totally made up) story

Two drops of rain were bobbing up and down, floating in the ocean: Big Drop and Small Drop.

Small Drop said to Big Drop: “I have heard that there is this thing called water” “Yes Little Drop of Rain,” Big Drop replied. “The water is all around us, in the ocean. You are in the water, and the water is in you, you are completely surrounded by water.”

Little Drop didn’t quite understand Big Drop, so she tried another question: “Big Drop, what is this water that is in me and all around me…what is water made from…What is its substance?

Big Drop looked thoughtful. “Water doesn’t really have substance as such. Sometimes when it’s very cold, water turns to ice. When it is very hot water becomes air; then it kind of floats…it dances between the sky and earth. Water is made from relationship, from connection, from “bonds of love” when oxygen atoms unite with hydrogen atoms. It’s the bond that is important – the oxygen and the hydrogen love each other so much that they become one. Without their bond they remain just hydrogen and oxygen. Us Drops of Rain unite with water, unite with the ocean– we are nondual – we are united – we are drops of rain flowing to the ocean.

Little Drop looked puzzled. “But Big Drop, why can’t I see the water if it is the ocean, if I am in it and it is in me?”

Big Drop pondered the question. “It’s true, you cannot always see water, but sometimes you can feel it, you just know it’s there.” Little Drop looked sceptical.  “That sounds like philosophical twaddle Big Drop. I’m sorry, but without proof, without actually being able to see it, I don’t think I believe in water.”

With that, Little Drop spun around and around and around. And as she spun she became hotter and hotter until she was air born and floated out of the ocean into the atmosphere. Big Drop wasn’t too worried. She knew that there was nowhere that Little Drop could go to escape Water. If Little Drop went to the highest reaches water would be in the atmosphere. And if Little Drop went into the deepest abyss water would be there too.