1 How God who calls us each by name
and loves us, friend and foe, the same,
must weep with sorrow at the sight
of soldiers fighting in the night.
2 Our hearts are heavy too with grief,
at violence beyond belief.
We mourn each tragic loss of life,
each wounded victim in the strife.
3 With all our being we deplore
that nations must resort to war,
that good intentions cannot find
another way, a common mind.
4 May God release love’s mighty power
to save us in this dreadful hour
from bitter hatred and ill will,
divisions that divide us still.
5 Let vengeance be of no avail,
and peace with justice soon prevail,
that we may live as God intends,
no longer foes, forever friends.
Source: Faith That Lets Us Sing: fifty new hymns and short worship songs #39
Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired United Church of Christ ordained pastor and church educator, has been a curriculum writer-editor, journalist, and lyricist for musical dramas and anthems. She still works out of her home in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a free-lance writer. In 2016 she published Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier, a chapter book for children, and Embracing the Light: Reflectioins on God’s Holy Word, a collection of meditations for individual or small group use. Augsburg Fortress also published Sing the Stories of God’s NEW People, the third in a trilogy of Bible story-based collections of songs for young children, written with her longtime colleague, John D. Horman. The two have written over a hundred hymns togethe… Go to person page >
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