I WILL BOW and BE SIMPLE
I will bow and be simple
I will bow and be free
I will bow and be humble
Yea bow like the willow-tree
I will bow this is the token
I will wear the easy yoke
I will bow and be broken
Yea I’ll fall upon the rock.
-Shaker Hymn
Gladsome Lights 
Oh, I LOVE this Shaker hymn. Thanks, GJ!
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I’ve always loved the Shaker hymn, “‘Tis A Gift to be Simple,” but I’ve never come across this poem. It’s beautiful.
It also reminded me of another song from quite a different genre. “Strong Enough to Bend” is just as lovely, and offers the same lesson, I think.
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Thank you. Just what I needed today.
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I’ve always loved willow trees but never had one until now. I will think of the words of this hymn now when I look out the window.
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Yes.
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I love that!
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I’ve never paid attention to that particular verse in that poem/song. Thank you for letting me ‘see’ it today in plain view. Wishing you a beautiful day, Gretchen. Brenda xox
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That is nice!
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Beautiful. Thank you for the inspiring and soothing post!
I love willow trees because they provide food for bumblebees early in spring when there are no other flowers yet. 🙂
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“I will bow and be free.” The paradoxical nature of Christianity.
It reminds me of an Italian movie, La vita e bella (Life is beautiful). One of the characters says something quite profound, I would say. I’ll write it in Italian and then try a translation:
“Guarda i girasoli: s’inchinano al sole, ma se vedi uno che è inchinato un po’ troppo significa che è morto. Tu stai servendo, però non sei un servo. Servire è l’arte suprema. Dio è il primo servitore. Lui serve gli uomini, ma non è servo degli uomini.”
“See the sunflowers. They bow to the sun, but if you see one that’s too low, it means that it is dead. You are serving, but you are not a server. To serve is the supreme art. God is the first servant. God serves people, but he is not their server.”
Bowing: the supreme art of humans, for in it we are like God: free!
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