Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea
Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me
This is one of the most recognizable songs within UU churches – some even refer to it as the Amazing Grace of the UU church. That’s how popular it’s become. And unless you’re visiting us today for the first time, I guarantee you’ve heard this song before. In just six lines it finds a common ground held by all of us, whether we are humanist, theist, athiest, or pagan. The lyrics are words we can all identify with on some level.
Spirit of Life was written by a woman named Carolyn McDade in the early 1980’s. McDade considers herself an activist rather than a musician, and she has been part of the feminist movement for decades. The first song she ever wrote was for her daughters, and from there she continued to write, inspired by activists and the social justice movement with which she continued to be heavily involved. McDade wrote Spirit of Life after coming home from a meeting for Central American Solidarity where she said “I was tired, not with my community but with the world.” Have you ever felt this way? I certainly have. McDade wrote this song to feed her own tired soul, and to feed the souls of her fellow activists.
It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that she was approached about the song being included in the UU hymn book. You or I might be flattered and excited to be asked to include a song we’ve written in the hymn book, but Carolyn was reluctant, as she thought of the song more as a living prayer, not a hymn. In fact she had no idea of how popular this song had become at UU church services. McDade has never written a song with the intention of it being included in a hymn book or for a UU church. She says that her songs are actually love songs for social movements. Her songs are written to nourish and inspire the women activists she is surrounded by in her work. After some discussion, it was agreed that the song would fall under the “Love and Compassion” heading rather than “Worship.” Since its addition to our hymn book, the song has continued to solidify its place as a prominent UU Hymn, one that most of us have memorized and could probably sing in our sleep.
I still remember the first time I heard Spirit of Life. I was in my early 20’s, living in Washington D.C. and decided to visit All Souls, which was just down the street from my apartment. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about the sermon, or the name of anyone I met, but I do remember with great clarity that we sang Spirit of Life. This was a weekly ritual at All Souls, with the song sung first in English, and then in Spanish. I found the lyrics to be very moving, and was struck by the references to spirit, compassion, and justice. I wasn’t raised in a UU church, but I had sung plenty of songs and hymns in my Christian background. I reflected upon how songs in the Christian church are pretty much all focused on God- on praising God, thanking God, loving God, admiring God, revering God, and the list goes on… As a small child I imagined some bearded old man who looked kind of like Santa Claus up in the clouds looking down upon us listening to all these songs we were singing to him with a smile on his face. But as I got older and let go of the Christian faith, I also let go of all the songs I had learned. They didn’t hold meaning for me the way they once had. So when I heard Spirit of Life, I remember thinking “wow”, this isn’t a song that’s being sung “to” any one or any religious figure. It’s an invitation for the spirit of life to fill you up and move you toward justice. I think this song was one of the things that led me to come back to the UU church and ultimately decide it was where I belonged.
Let’s break down the lyrics and think more about what they mean. I offer you my interpretation while acknowledging that yours may be completely different. Spirit of Life, come unto me. What is the “spirit of life?” This could mean many things- perhaps to some it is a reference to a religious deity while to others it calls out to the natural world around us. To me, spirit of life is the present moment, this moment right now where we are all alive. It is the energy we feel from the remarkable fact that we are alive, and in recognizing that human life is such an incredible thing. So when we say come unto me we are opening ourselves up to accepting the present moment, absorbing the energy of life- whether it is joyful, peaceful, painful, or sorrowful. Remembering that we are of this Earth. I’d also like to reference the Spanish translation of this first line. Fuente de amor, ven hacia mi. The direct translation of these words is “source of love” or “fountain of love” come unto me. When we open ourselves up to the spirit of life- we are opening ourselves up to love. An endless fountain of love. Love is something that turns away from fear, from hate, from shame and judgment. It is love that asks “why not?” just like we heard in the time for all ages. And it is this love that fuels us into action as the rest of the song describes.
The next line states “Sing in my heart, all the stirrings of compassion.” In her book Atlas of the Heart, Author Brene Brown states that “compassion is the daily practice of recognizing and accepting our shared humanity so that we treat ourselves and others with loving-kindness, and we take action in the face of suffering.” This line is a call to recognize that we all struggle- and we can be present with one another in that struggle as we seek to take action. We are opening our hearts to be compassionate by drawing from our experience and being willing to see the pain, so that we can then work together toward finding beauty. I like how the definition says compassion is a daily practice… it’s not something you do once and then are just done. It is something that becomes part of who we are on a daily basis.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea, move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice. I love the visual these two lines bring to mind. The reference to nature, to the spirit being moved by the wind and the sea and ultimately through us as we shape life into justice. Almost like we are the artist molding the clay, and deciding which of the many shapes justice can take. The shape we give it is up to us, up to the creator. I see the spirit of life, and the stirrings of compassion as the creative energy, the muse, or the motivation to find ways, large or small, that we can shape justice in our communities and environments.
The next line states “Roots hold me close, wings set me free”. Rather than roots indicating something about where I was born, my childhood, or who my family is, I see the roots as a reference to my values. As UU’s we are rooted in our values, our principals. These principles are what we hold close to, as we simultaneously ask the wings to set us free. Free to explore, free to seek adventure, to seek purpose, and make connections. To let go of fear and embrace change, to have the freedom to celebrate our differences, and freedom to speak up for those who do not have a voice.
The song closes by once again asking the spirit of life to come to me, come to me.
As I think about what McDade said, that she writes love songs for social movements, I can’t help but think about another song I first heard last year. This song could also be considered to be a love song for one of today’s social movements. The social movement for queer acceptance, for equal rights no matter your sexual orientation, gender identity, or outward appearance. This song was written by a couple- a non-binary musician who goes by the name Corook, and their partner Olivia Barton. You may have heard it too, because shortly after writing it and posting it on tik-tok, the song went viral with millions of views almost overnight. The pair wrote this song in response to the hate they were experiencing as musicians, from people who didn’t like or accept their uniqueness. Corook felt isolated and dejected – but used those feelings as inspiration to write a song that would not only pull them out of that funk, but would uplift and inspire so many other people who were also experiencing those feelings. The feeling of not fitting in, of being judged or questioned, just for being yourself. I listened to an interview where Corook remembered sitting in despair thinking “If I were a big colorful, floppy fish, I’d be seen as a GREAT catch… but just because I’m human, I’m expected to fit into some box of what “normal” or “socially acceptable” is? This feeling along with the compassion from their partner ultimately led them to creative expression. I see it as a clear example of the spirit of life, of love, moving through them as they sought compassion and used their talents to give life the shape of justice.