What is the Crying at Jordan
(Lyrics by Carol Christopher Drake)
In 1978, my husband Bruce directed a production of Godspell, at our then church. My favorite part of that musical is near the beginning when the shofar sounds and the actor portraying John the Baptist begins singing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” The haunting, mysterious chant of “What is the Crying at Jordan?” conjures up the sound of the shofar and the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness: “Repent. Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” Indeed, repentance and confession are necessary to make us clean so that the Spirit of the Lord can enter our hearts. Written in the 1950’s by Carol Christopher Drake, the hymn begins with darkness. The mournful 1928 Gaelic tune echoes our sorrow at our dark and sinful condition and our need of a Savior. Drake speaks of our spiritual blindness as we flail in the darkness, bereft of joy. The “branch that begins to bloom” refers to the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah, Chapter 11, and points to Jesse who was the father of King David. From the stump and roots of Jesse, the Branch—the Messiah—would come. Drake speaks of the humility of God Himself who came down to be born in a stable to dwell with us in our state of “mortal darkness” and to save us from our sins. By the last verse, Drake speaks of our joy at the dawn of salvation—the Gift of God Himself, who saves us from sin and spiritual separation. Because of the warmth of the Light of Christ, we will no longer grope in the cold darkness but we will bask instead in the love and grace of a Savior who became one of us. Prepare ye the way of the Lord!
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