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This hymn feels like when I cry out to God for guidance.
“Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.
When my way grows dreary, precious Lord, linger near, when my life is almost gone, hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall.
When the darkness appears and the night draws near, and the day is past and gone, at the river I stand, guide my feet, hold my hand.”
As I walked home from church today, a familiar urge filled my heart. The words of one of the hymns sparked my desire to pray for the world again.
It is titled O God of Every Nation (713 in the ELCA hymnal).
“O God of every nation, of every race and land, redeem your creation with your almighty hand; where hate and fear divide us and bitter threats are hurled, in love and mercy guide us and heal our strife torn world.
From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right, from trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night, from pride of race and station and blindness to your way, deliver every nation, eternal God, we pray.”
I think these two verses describes us and our world so well. When the pandemic began and the Ukraine war began, I felt this need to pray for our world. Yet, I struggle to even know what to ask for. Peace from war and hatred? Healing from illness? A reprieve for those who are suffering due to illness, wars, poverty and natural disasters? Guidance for the leaders of each and every nation?
I cry out for easy answers and easy fixes. Yet, God seems to listen intently with no response.
Here is a short quote from another song titled God of Grace and God of Glory (705)
“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour…Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days.”
We, as a world, need Your guidance and courage to live in these chaotic times. Please grant this to us.
“When our world is rent by Violence and our lives are marred by grief, when our songs of calm assurance turn to cries of unbelief: God, we raise our lamentation seeking refuge and relief. “
This first verse makes me think of Nashville and the active shooter at the Christian school. That community is crying out in grief and anger similar to what my city did after Mr Darrell Brooks Jr drove in our parade.
“When our cities stand forsaken and the poor must beg for bread, when the pris’ner sits forgotten and the homeless find no bed, God, we raise our lamentation: waken justice from the dead!”
The third verse looks at the struggles of the individual rather than groups or communities like in the previous verses. “When our lives are burnt to ashes and our hopes fade like a dream, when our stories lose their meaning and despair becomes their theme, God, we raise our lamentation: Come, Lord Jesus, to redeem!”
I can relate to some of this verse. I remember being unable to feel happy or hope. The sky would be blue on a sunny warm day and I couldn’t enjoy it.
The last verse feels like a prayer to me. “Raise up beauty from the ashes; end our violence; tend our peace, Give us visions of a future where all captives find release, where oppression is evicted, and all works of hatred cease.”
This hymn is in All Creation Sings (ELCA hymnal) as hymn number 1052. The lyrics were written by David Bjorlin.