Got Vision?

 

New advent of the love of Christ, shall we again refuse thee,

till in the night of hate and war we perish as we lose thee?

From old unfaith our souls release to seek the kingdom of thy peace,

 By which alone we choose thee.  (Walter Bowie)

 Dear Friends

Engraved above the Redlands Bowl stage are these words from the Book of Proverbs: “Without vision, a people perish”.

But we have been given a vision. And in this time of war, we have the responsibility to keep holding hold up that vision, God’s vision of peace in Christ. Here in the Diocese of El Camino Real, Bishop Lucinda Ashby’s pastoral letter included this important urgent reminder: 

     PEACE: PREACH IT, PRAY IT, PROCLAIM IT, LIVE IT!

Many hymns come to mind right now to offer to the people of Ukraine but the one I want to share and pray with them most, is this beloved Irish ballad, ca.700

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

 

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;

I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord

Born of thy love, thy child may I be,

Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee

 

Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.

Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r

Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r

 

True Light of heaven, when vict’ry is won

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun

Heart of my heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

 

This is not only a battle for freedom and democracy. It is a spiritual battle between those (not “smart”, not “a genius”) who have become instruments of war and those who try their best to be instruments of peace.

Lord have mercy.

John