Be Your doors unclosed
When to storm and welter
Your lambs lie exposed:
When the hateful neighbor
Thirsts for blameless blood;
When with cries of labor
Evil bears her brood:
When our faithful actions
Men but count as crime;
When fanatic factions
Seize and rule our time:
When the world surrenders
Reason, rule and right;
When deceitful splendors
Squelch Your truth and light:
Let Your cross stand o'er us,
Nerving us to stand,
As the martyr chorus
Bravely bore its brand.
Let Your blood-bought pardon
And the hope of life
With steadfastness harden
All who face this strife.
Feed us the Passover
Of Your flesh and blood,
Promiser and Prover
That all works for good.
Through the bath You bathed in,
Cup whereof You drank,
Raise us up, unscathed in
Saints' and angels' flank.
Even as we suffer
Threat or pain or loss,
We as shield and buffer
Will hold up Your cross.
Why should death appal us,
Bringing us to You?
Christ, what may befall us,
Be our Shelter true!
While writing this, I had in mind not only a certain Christian's vile political assassination in the recent news, but the disgusting rhetoric flooding social media right now. But no tune in particular. That can come later. Art: the Stoning of St. Stephen by Carlo Crivelli, Demidoff Altarpiece, public domain.
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