Last summer I had the honor of leading the closing Hymn Festival for the Annual Conference of The Hymn Society in St. Louis, Missouri. It was a thoughtful, introspective week as this largely white community of clergy, musicians, and scholars reflected on painful legacies of racism and white privilege in the Church’s song.

We learned from many musicians of color during our time together, centering their gifts and perspectives. There were times of communal listening, silence, and conversation. We heard stories of racial segregation and the injustice faced by communities of color in the city of St. Louis, especially remembering the death of Michael Brown and the Ferguson Uprising that happened just miles away.

When we gathered for the final time that week, it was clear we needed a moment of repentance, a moment to acknowledge the pain and grief spoken by others or the guilt or anxiety felt within ourselves. But we also needed a word of hope and commitment rooted in the meaning of repentance: turning around and walking in the opposite direction.

Our Tears, Falling Down Like Rain was written for the final Hymn Festival, and I hoped it would be a vessel big enough to hold many people’s prayers, especially those from diverse denominational and theological spaces. It’s essentially a Kyrie eleison (Lord/God, have mercy), a classic penitential text in the Christian tradition, rooted in a verse from Psalm 126:6.

“‘Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.’”

Over the last year I’ve used the song for different occasions and in many contexts. It feels sturdy enough to share with others and my hope is it continues to make space for lament and repentance, and also inspires hope-full change. We cannot rush quickly through the pain to healing but we pray our tears will water seeds of lasting change in our lives and in our world.

The piece can be accompanied two ways: with by a shruti box or drone on D and A, or a piano/keyboard can realize the printed chords to offer a flowing, gentle accompaniment.

You can purchase a copy of the score here and hear a recording below.

Our tears,
falling down like rain to the ground,
will water seeds of change.
*Kyrie eleison.
(Translated ‘God/Lord, have mercy’)

*You may also substitute the phrase, ‘Let it be,’ in interfaith spaces.