As I took my morning walk today, a flood of memories came over me. I was taken back to elementary school days. For one hour a week over a couple of years we were released from class with our parents permission to attend “Weekday Religious Education” class. It was held in a trailer on the street, so as not to be on school property. I know it is hard to believe today in the climate of our times to imagine this taking place, but it did. We entered the trailer and sat at little desks, we learned a Bible Story and sang. There was one song that we sang every week. I would come to discover it was a hymn. A hymn that was rarely if ever sung in my church. “This is my Father’s World.” I loved the tune and I loved the words. Many times across the years the words of that song/hymn have come back to me. I have even quoted some of the lyrics in sermons I have preached.
This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world:
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.
I love those verses so much. But there is a verse of this song that I find myself thinking about these days:
This is my Father’s world:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!
O let me never forget, that though the wrong often seems overwhelming. I serve a God who always will have the last word. I am glad today that our God reigns.
