“Where anger festers in the heart, and strikes with cruel hand;
where violence stalks the troubled streets, and terror haunts the land:
O God of mercy, hear our prayer: bring peace to earth again.” *

I found these poignant and timely words in our Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn 700 to be specific:  “Bring Peace to Earth Again” written by Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr.  (1923-2007).  The verse well suits any evening news report or any social media where folks share their feelings and opinions about that news.  Probably written about the turn of the 21^st century, the events that spurned these thoughts were different.  And yet, are they not the same? 

I am deeply troubled by what I see in our nation and the world around us, as I’m sure you are as well.  Anger, cruelty, violence, terror: these have become almost commonplace.  Now I’m not an angry person, nor am I intentionally cruel.  I don’t think any that know me would consider me violent.  But how about terror?  To me that stirs thoughts of fear, and living in fear is where you’ll find me.  How about you?  Do you fear what’s happening?  Do you fear what might happen?  Has this underlying fear replaced your contentment with life?

I heard a little quip one day, have no idea where, but I haven’t forgotten it.  “Fear is what if?  Faith is even if.”   We can go on forever with the what ifs in our personal life and that of our nation.  But could we switch to “even if” this or that happens, our Lord is still our God!   Yes, fight for the right, but replace that fear with faith.  It’s not so easy to do, but it’s worth it, and it’s surely worth asking God’s help on this one.

O God of Mercy we pray for peace on our earth, oh yes, we fervently pray.  But we also pray that you remove our deep sense of fear, that you replace it with a strong faith that counts on you in every situation. 

Judy

*Bring Peace to Earth Again,”  Stanza 2,  Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr.,  Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 2006, Text and Music 1996 World Library Publications