Follow Him, Seek Him, Love Him

The chorus from W.H. Auden's Christmas Oratorio is on my mind today as I reflect upon my life and ministry and the people and places I have known:

He is the Way.
Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;
You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.

He is the Truth.
Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;
You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.

He is the Life.
Love Him in the World of the Flesh;
And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.

(W H Auden – 1907-1973)

This poem is set to two different tunes in The Hymnal 1982 of The Episcopal Church.  Here's a beautiful choral setting:  The Way, The Truth, The Life   (Royal Holloway Choir, University of London, Samuel Rathbone & Rupert Gough)