This Little Light Of Mine

JJ Heller's “This Little Light of Mine” is her take on the well-known spiritual that children have sung for generations. The lyric is short and built on repetition: “This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.” The line is then repeated in a chain of “let it shine” until everyone is singing along.

The words also say where the light goes, with the promise “Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine.” That phrase gives the song its meaning, since it is a pledge to live out faith at home, school, work and in public. The song comes from the teaching of Jesus about a lamp that should not be hidden under a basket, and its simple form has made it a favorite in Sunday school and in the civil rights movement, where it carried a quiet courage. Heller's version keeps the tune bright and uncomplicated, with a gentle acoustic sound that suits a family listening together. It is an easy song to teach a child, and parents often use it to talk about being kind and honest when no one is watching. The lyric asks for no more than willingness, which is why it has lasted so long and is still sung.

Letting your light shine before others is Matthew 5:14-16. Shining like stars in the world is Philippians 2:15, and Jesus as the light of the world is John 8:12.