Common Ground Song 79 ‘Lord, you have come to the lakeside’
Music & words: Cesareo Gabarain (Translated by Robert Trupia) © OCP Publications
YouTube recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zug0Rn8P3Ww
Featured image: Jesus calling the fishermen © freebibleimages.org
The song comes from Mexico (the original first line is ‘Tú has venido’a la’orilla’). This has a couple of implications. One is that there is more than one English translation, some of them with a more American feel. The video linked above uses the same British English translation by Robert Trupia as is found in the Common Ground hymnbook. The other is that the tune has a distinctively ‘Latin American’ feel. The 6:8 timing is not unusual, but having an odd number of lines in each verse (three) is.
Clearly this song is based on the stories in the Gospels about the calling of Jesus’ first disciples in Capernaum. Among them, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. These were indeed ‘neither wealthy nor wise … carrying no gold and no weapons’ as the song puts it. Even today, the call of Jesus is heard most keenly by those who lack worldly wealth and power.
One reason for this is that Jesus calls us to renounce all other attachments, whether to money, property, existing jobs or even family. No doubt he was using deliberate hyperbole when he said we must ‘hate’ our parents in order to love him, and few people are called literally to give away everything they own, but the message is clear: his calling comes first, and it may well involve a change of job, a reduced income, moving to a new location far from our existing friends and family. Those who have fewest ties find it easier to follow. Peter and Andrew could literally leave their boats and nets for other men in the village to use, and those who have no job, no house of their own or no close family will find it easier to throw in their lot with Jesus.
The call to follow Jesus is always linked with a call to serve. For some, that service will be within the existing church congregation as a teacher, pastor or administrator. But for some it will be a call to ‘fish for people’, to go out into our locality (be that beach or bedsits, lakeside or local pub) and extend his Kingdom one person at a time.
The chorus pictures Jesus ‘searching us with his eyes, smiling and calling our name’. This tells us a lot about effective evangelism. It is not usually about slogans or street corner preaching, certainly not about condemning sins or threatening God’s punishment. Nor does an honest follower of Jesus promise anyone physical healing or worldy riches. Instead, we meet people as they are with that threefold welcome of recognising people and their needs, a friendly smile and a personal engagement. When someone feels that the Church knows them by name, welcomes them and seeks to understand them, they will be much more open to learning about Jesus himself.