Verse 1:
Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
Verse 3:
We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

If you pay attention to the categories I’m using for these posts, you’ll notice this is the first in a category entitled, “You’re Singing It Wrong.” Apart from the strong implication of humor, I hope to address in these types of posts how incorrect performance of a particular hymn can actually effect our understanding of the meaning. Need to use that B.A. in Music for something, right?

Blest Be the Tie That Binds is a favorite of many, but most people do not have a lot of formal vocal training. So what is the issue? Breathing. And honestly, most music leaders don’t help, either adding extra beats or moving things too slow. What happens is a break in the first line of text which most people don’t consciously realize, but which diminishes the song’s meaning for many of us.

If you are like me, you tend to just think of the blest tie, unrelated to the later mentioned christian love. However, without the poetic breaks, the first verse reads:

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

The theme of this song, supported by the remaining verses, is the unity of the Church. Verse 3 emphasizes this as is discusses the shared nature of our burdens, even our tears. This is all well and good within our own congregation or small group. However, what about other Christians in the church down the road? What if they are not your same denomination? What if they have opposing political views? We might be more likely to slander than to share burdens.

Christians will never agree on everything in this fallen world. Paul had disagreements with Peter and Barnabus. But that diversity can be incredibly beneficial as long as we strive to always treat one another with Christian love.

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran