Wind

One of the hymns we sang this morning has intrigued me for a long time.

It was written by George Matheson, a Church of Scotland minister, who was also interested in science and engineering.

Part of the reason this hymn is often on my mind is that usually I struggle to find it. This is because the phrase I remember is not the first line so the index of first lines is no use!

However, after singing it on Sunday, I now have the author's name in my head, and even remember the hymn number in CH4, which is 534.

The first line is not very auspicious - "Make me a captive, Lord". It sounds a rather depressing prospect. But the idea is that being a captive of the Lord actually makes one free.

The line that sticks firmly in my memory is,
"it varies with the wind."

He is speaking of the heart, weak and poor, with no spring of action sure.

The symbolism is related to clockwork timepieces. In that year 1890, cheap clocks and watches would slow down as the driving spring relaxed and wound down. So the accuracy of the clock varied depending on how tightly wound was the clock or watch.

But to modern folk, the concept of something varying with the clockwork wind is not obvious. Most singers usually sing 'wind' as in which direction the wind is coming from, instead of 'wind' as in winding a clock. And of course, the wind does blow from varying directions.

But blowing 'wind' doesn't rhyme with 'find', which is the rhyming line. So it should be obvious that it's a winding 'wind', and not a blowing 'wind'. But that would assume people are paying attention to the rhymes of the lines (ha, that rhymes!)!

But a heart should beat with dependable regularity, a steady tick-tock, like a high-quality watch, not one which varies with the wind - the winding 'wind'. One's emotional heart should also be steady, focussed, calm, and controlled, peaceful - not varying with the wind - be it winding 'wind' or blowing 'wind'. Submission to the Lord, becoming His 'captive', provides a stabilising framework that helps one's heart to be regulated - like a good-quality clock or watch.

George Matheson's hymn is full of engineering imagery: manufacturing chain, power being low, glowing fire (necessary to power steam engines), driving machinery, unfurling flags, a monarch's crown, and clashing strife. Amusingly, a glowing fire needs a strong draught such as might be provided by a strong wind - that's a blowing 'wind' this time, not a winding 'wind'.

Anyway, enough of such polysemous ramblings. You may take from this lot whatever meaning you can find, or wind!