Questions & Answers
DOWN to the pool of Siloam I went, Groping my way. "Wash thee," said one, the Messiah, God-sent— I could but obey.
In fair, unchanging beauty lies The little Syrian sea, The shining water Jesus loved In far-off Galilee. The dawns still touch its waves with light And sunlight with its gold, While sunsets mirror flowerlike hues As in the days of old, When by its waves our Master taught The fatherhood of God, And on its surface, Love-upheld, His holy footsteps trod; Or when in evening's cooling breeze, And light of tender rose, He healed the thronging multitudes Of their dire earthly woes.
We ask not riches, fame, or ease, But rather, God, we ask that these Sweet graces of Thy gentleness Be ours to share and others bless: A grateful heart, humility, A song of joy and praise to Thee; A prayer that love our thoughts may fill And error's claims forever still; The tender word, the kindly hand, Forgiveness, peace, the strength to stand In Spirit's might; our trust to place In Truth, our steadfast dwelling place. We seek Christ's vision clear of Love, The healing light of Truth, above The mist of human dreams and strife, And in Love's vision we find Life.
I wakened with a song, My heart o'erflowing with the joy of Love. What matter if the day seemed dark and chill? I knew the sunshine of God's presence still Was shining on me from above.
Oh , great as she was, best of all our time, Mighty as tender, meek as she was wise, How can we pay our thanks to her who stood Alone upon the peak of her dark day, Questing the quiet worlds of brooding Love, Then spoke the word of waking to our vales; And those that slept in village, field, and street Lifted to walk with her upon the heights, To let Love's earliest rays their dreams destroy, Healing their sickness, giving dawn for dusk? We too can tread that spiritual track, Can on the dawn-illumined ridges walk, Kindling our torches at the light of Mind To rouse the dreamers from their doubt and heal The sorrow and the sickness and the sin, Earth's mindless shadows fleeing still the day; We too can claim the wonder of the morn, The miracle of His uprising sun, Dropping the mask for music, in that May, Knowing an endless summer for mankind. So let us journey, not as fainting, dull, Nor by the wayside weary or distressed, But in the glory of our new-found God Loosing the burdens, bearing still the joy, Seeing the city naught can take away; So let us journey with no staff but Soul, No scrip but meekness, and no coin but love, Lighting the world we tread but will not know, Lifting the eye turned earthward, piercing through Earth's monstrous mist until the dawn be day, And hiding place of all earth's lies be clean.
When mortal thoughts would press most heavily, And argue in behalf of every foe That tries to bind with morbid dreams of woe, And cloud my understanding that makes free, Dear God, then help me wake, and lift my eyes Unto the mount, and with that vision know Thy allness heals—destroying sin's disguise.
Peace , the cherished hope of ages, Peace secure from hatred's dream— Fervent hearts in eager watching See its promise brighter gleam. Men and nations groping, moving Toward the universal right, Mark the dawn of tranquil union, Gladdening sign of unselfed might.
It seems so small, dear God, What I can give to Thee of love and praise; Yet here my heart doth offer all its store Of grateful service, and I pray for more Humility and understanding light To better worship Thee in all my ways— Reflecting thus Thy might.
Mid strife and hate he heard Love's harmony, In Love's irradiance lost the glooms of sense; So clear beholding Love's omnipotence O'er death itself he won the victory! That Love is Life, to show humanity, Such wealth of understanding to dispense His all he gave, and gained all recompense— His crowning proof of Love's supremacy! We, too, must listen for Love's melody, Rejoice as up the hill of grief we go, In triumph over every seeming foe, Thus proving Love alone reality, Till with our Saviour's vision we shall see, The glory of his resurrection know.
The umber shadows wane. Vague dreams have gone; And to Mind's holy temple you have climbed.