The servant song

When Breath Becomes Air is a book that, in my opinion, everyone should read. In the last part of the book the author's wife quotes the servant song:

A few months after his diagnosis, we sang the hymn “The Servant Song” while standing side by side in a church pew, and the words vibrated with meaning as we faced uncertainty and pain together: “I will share your joy and sorrow / Till we’ve seen this journey through.”

Back in 2011 when I stayed alone at Coimbatore, there was this phase when I'd get nightmares of losing my mom and I'd wake up in tears. I told no one about it except to Josh when he told me about a nightmare he had many years later while on a trek. (On that note, nightmares are weird.)

I think this explains why I seek and read a lot about death – guess it's my way of coming to terms with its reality. While I was at Xavier's I'd bunk lectures sometimes to go play for funeral masses when no one else could make it—because I knew it was an important moment and there had to be some music.

Anyway, I remembered the book because I'm currently putting together an SATB arrangement of the servant song to work on my harmony skills. It's a beautiful hymn. My favourite verse is this:

I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear