a Hymn Devotion for 6 August 2024 Anno Domini,
the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,” Ezekiel 38:11
This is a military-style hymn written by a lady, Mrs. Sarah Wilson, in 1891. The tune is FARMER named after its composer, John Farmer. There was a time that such a rousing song would cause all American’s to rally to the Ensign for Liberty. My prayers is that America will soon reawaken to her former greatness.
THE LAND WE LOVE IS CALLING
1 The land we love is calling,
From plain and mountain height,
Her valiant sons and daughters
To lift her beacon light;
From coast to coast the answer
Comes ringing loud and free,
“America, America,”
We bring our lives to thee.
2 The soul starved mountain highlands,
The need of countryside,
The city’s creeping darkness,
Where sin and fear abide,
Shall see the marching thousands
That come from far and near:
“America, America,”
Thy pleading call we hear!
3 O heralds of the morning,
Stand in your radiant might,
Splendid with faith triumphant,
Touched by the living light,
For faithful, loving service
Thy country calls to thee,
Till God’s redeemed America
Thy shining crown shall be.
1 The land we love is calling, From plain and mountain height, Her valiant sons and daughters To lift her beacon light; From coast to coast the answer Comes ringing loud and free, “America, America,”
We bring our lives to thee. Just as the blood of the righteous dead call from the dust, so do our forbearers who bled and died for our freedoms, which we squander, cry from the dust to uncaring ears. At the time of the writing of this hymn, the sons and daughters of America were strong in character and dauntless in fortitude – but what of our people today. Has the National Colors faded and the trumpet ceased to call in times of present adversity? An old World War I song, written by a Yale student, entitled, There’s a Long, Long Trail Awinding.”
That poignant song followed the British troops into battle and finally became popular in the land of its origin. That trail of our National history has woven through plains, mountain passages, great waters, and coastal townships, sometimes turning aside, but always returning to the compass heading. “America, America!” Why do we no longer hear our children sing America the Beautiful, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and utter a prayer or Psalm at the beginning of each school day?
2 The soul starved mountain highlands, The need of countryside, The city’s creeping darkness, Where sin and fear abide, Shall see the marching thousands That come from far and near: “America, America,” Thy pleading call we hear! We still have a few soul starved highlands for the lack of any to reside there; but we also now have soul starved cities where every imaginable evil prevails. These cities are often occupied by those who could never appreciate the greatness of America. Many have been illegally admitted from countries that have no notion of freedom and in which their citizens live in squalor. What ever happened the requirement for new arrivals to assimilate to the culture and values of America. A nation that has fielded millions in uniform now seems weak and wavering to countries around the world. We have forgotten the God of our Fathers who led us through the dark wilderness of war and into the splendor of a mighty and upright nations.
3 O heralds of the morning, Stand in your radiant might, Splendid with faith triumphant, Touched by the living light, For faithful, loving service Thy country calls to thee, Till God’s redeemed America Thy shining crown shall be. America, not very long ago, was known as a City of Lights on a Hill. What has happened to dim that visage? Our motto, In God We Trust, has become an empty phrase thoughtlessly quoted by the few who remember it. The Light that was America was the reflected Light of her sovereign Lord who blessed our arms on foreign battlefields ‘when the cause it was just.’ The nation of templed-churches and gentle manners has changed, and not for the better. We stumble as drunken men, and have placed over our national government the bramble bushes of which Jotham described. That Long, Long Trail is at last winding to an end lest we soon awaken to the Provident Will of God to order our paths and direct our steps. Let us do it NOW, if ever we will.
