Virginia Shootings
While listening to live coverage of the convocation ceremony memorializing the victims of yesterday’s Virginia Tech shootings, I heard the band playing the solemn strains of the “Navy Hymn.” I am familiar with this hymn because my wife, brother, and I sang it together as a trio at my Navy veteran grandfather’s memorial service. Here are the original words:
Navy Hymn
Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid’st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked’st on the foaming deep,
and calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!Most Holy spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
O that our society would take the sentiment of these words to heart! Perhaps if it did so, symptoms of a depraved culture such as this shooting would be less frequent.
Lord, turn us back to You and save our nation!
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April 19th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Perhaps you should combine this post with the “I hear you like a cow” post and give us the audio for your rendition of the Navy Hymn.
Hmm… would that make you a Seacow?
Anyway, I’d never seen the words before. Quite stirring.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Yes, the words could almost be used as a statement faith for a church. It is amazing to see where we’ve been in light of where we were. Our country was founded on Christian principles, though we’ve largely slipped off the Foundation.