I hope you don’t mind me sharing another fond memory from my youth. I ran across a song on You Tube this week that stirred some memories of a time when God was still a welcome part of our culture as well as our worship. The song was written in 1954, the year I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. The very next year it made the Billboard pop music chart. A year after that, my eighth grade music teacher used the sheet music to accompany our chorus on the piano. As a new Christian, the words had special meaning for me. They still make my heart and my voice sing along after all of these years.
“He can turn the tides and calm the angry sea. He alone decides who writes the symphony. He lights every star that makes our darkness bright. He keeps watch all through each long and lonely night. He still finds the time to hear a child’s first prayer. Saint or sinner call and always find Him there. Though it makes Him sad to see the way we live, He’ll always say, ‘I forgive.’ He can grant a wish or make a dream come true. He can paint the clouds and turn the gray to blue. He alone knows where to find the rainbow’s end. He alone can see what lies beyond the bend. He can touch a tree and turn the leaves to gold. He knows every lie that you and I have told. Though it makes Him sad to see the way we live, He’ll always say, ‘I forgive.’”
Sadly, there is no pop music station in our country that would play that song today. A public school teacher would be in big trouble if she tried to make it part of her curriculum today. Today, many might even question, “Who is He?” It is so sad because if there ever was a time when we need to turn our attention to God, it is now. My heart breaks when I think of the younger generations who do not have the memories I have of that time when God was an accepted part of our culture in this country.
In this time of fear, hatred and violence, people are searching for answers and long for truth in the midst of all of the lies and distortion. It is up to us as Christians to share the love of God and the truth of His Gospel message with them. We can change the world and make a difference one life at a time. Revive us again, Lord!