Right in the centre - Sing a new song!
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- Published on Friday, May 31, 2019
By Ken Waddell
Neepawa Banner & Press
I heard a great new song last weekend, new to me and it’s a relatively new song, written by Chris Tomlin. It speaks of hope and promise for any people in any location. I can’t think of a more appropriate message for us today, in Canada, in Manitoba and in this area particularly. We have great potential, but in spite of all the potential we are faced with, there is a condition and it is expressed clearly in this song. It’s written in modern words, by a present writer.
“You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are
You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city.”
So no matter if you live in a city, a town, village or on a farm, the words apply to you and yours, your family and your assets.
We can all tell stories of our forefathers who turned to God. We have all heard many more. The old songs, or hymns, of the Christian church were full of similar admonitions of the need to turn to God. Hymns such as “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” and “Faith of our Fathers” or “God our help in ages past” may or may not be familiar to people of today.
The fascinating message about God in this modern city song is that it is not old, not from centuries past, but from today. And it was sung by two young people at a Neepawa evening of music, worship and teaching. Young people who have the skill and the courage to get up and sing and teach in a way that is fresh and wonderful.
I am willing to bet that every community has some young people who are willing to sing out and teach in a fresh, new way. Be sure to encourage them when you find them.
I fervently believe that our communities will move into the future with the assets we have at hand. Some will succeed, to a certain extent, by means of human effort alone. However, if we follow the advice of the song above, our efforts will be hugely multiplied under the blessing of God.
We are completely at liberty to deny that God exists or perhaps give the odd nodding ascent to God. We are much better off, and will be much better off, as individuals and communities when we recognize that greater things are yet to come when we acknowledge that God is the the light in this darkness, the hope to the hopeless, the peace to the restless.
So how do we fit into this picture? Millions have followed this advice from Paul, a man who wrote a big chunk of the Bible. He said in the Book of Acts 20:24. “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
The song and this quote place us in a good place to face an unknown future.
Disclaimer: The writer serves as a volunteer president of the Manitoba Community Newspaper Association. The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the MCNA board or Banner & Press staff.
