January 20, 2005

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892

      In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15.

    So often in our modern lives we attack our problems with frantic and hurried activity, creating unnecessary stress for ourselves. We easily forget that our heavenly Father can assist us in meeting our daily challenges with serenity and calm assurance. We need the quiet confidence in God and a peaceful resting in His eternal love that is reflected in this beautiful text by John Greenleaf Whittier, "America's beloved Quaker poet;" his works include The Panorama, and Other Poems, 1856. He also wrote almost 100 hymns. Whittier's poetic lines remind us of this so clearly, admonishing us to listen carefully for God's "still small voice of calm" in the midst of all of life's turbulency.
   Whittier was a good example of quiet godly life in his speech, dress, and writings. It has been said that he "left upon our literature the stamp of genius and upon our religion the touch of sanity."
    "A good hymn is the best use to which poetry can be devoted, though I do not claim to have succeeded in writing one," wrote Whittier. Hymnal editors, however, have collected and edited enough of his poems to make seventy-five hymns.
    At age 22, Whittier became editor of the American Manufacturer in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1830, he began editing the Haverhill Gazette and the New England Weekly Review (Hartford, Connecticut). In 1835, Whittier was elected to the Massachusetts legislature. From 1847 to 1859, he wrote for The National Era in Washington, DC.
    Whittier was influential in the antislavery movement, and served as secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society. When he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he edited the Pennsylvania Freeman. Mobs attacked him several times because of his views.
    The words of this hymn are from a long, narrative poem, “The Brewing of Soma.” It describes Vedic priests going into the forest and drinking themselves into a stupor with a concoction called “soma.” They try to have a religious experience and contact the spirit world. It is after setting that scene that Whittier draws his lesson: “Dear Lord, and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways…” This hymn is as relevant today as when it was written. In a modern context, it speaks to the drug culture, and those looking for an “experience” to prove the reality of God.
    John Greenleaf Whittier's life expressed the steadfast rest in his heavenly Father's love that these words suggest. As you read, why not decide now to let Him guide you and give you peace in this hectic world.