Rich Man, Poor Man

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,


Bend our pride to Thy control.


Shame our wanton selfish gladness,


Rich in things and poor in soul.


Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,


Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,


Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

A couple of years ago, I made "God of Grace and God of Glory" the hymn of the month in our homeschool.  I hadn't really learned more than a couple of stanzas back when I was in churches that sang this song, so when I came to this third stanza, it was as if I were reading it for the first time (and of course, I might have been) and it made a deep impression on me.

I think that this stanza of this song is perhaps the most accurate summation of much of contemporary Christianity that exists.  Selfish gladness. Rich in things and poor in soul.  Warring madness. Prideful.  Missing the kingdom's goal.

I don't think the world needs me to expound upon instances of all these things in today's Christians.  There are many people who are more than happy to do that. But the way in which Mr. Fosdick captured the Laodicean problem* is succinct and striking. And then again the stanza ends with the call for wisdom and courage, lest we miss the kingdom's goal.  There's a lot of stuff in this verse that'll preach, so I'll leave it to the preachers.  But if you've stumble by here and are unfamiliar with this song, please take a few moments to consider these words.

*Somehow I failed to recognize the lyrics of a contemporary worship song, "Light the Fire Again," as coming fairly directly from the letter to the church in Laodicea found in the Revelation.  I certainly was keenly aware of Laodicea in my growing up years.  I could have told you all about being lukewarm and being spewed out.  But either the preacher didn't make it down to the solution very often or I just wasn't paying enough attention, because those verses are not nearly as familiar to me as those stating the problem. "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." "Buying gold refined in the fire" is going to take some study and meditation. I'm not quite sure if I'm getting that.