This Is My Father's World

 

This afternoon was the first Sunday of the Spring 2015 “40 Days for Life” campaign. The campaign is a peaceful prayer vigil throughout the 40 days of Lent (and again in the fall) outside of abortion facilities. In 1973, 42 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled not only that pre-born children are not entitled to protection by the State, but that States could not choose to protect them at all during the first 6 months of their lives. (This is no longer the way the court views this issue, as later cases focused on “viability” instead of on the strict trimester framework, but this was the ruling in 1973. Also, some may object that States were allowed to regulate abortion during the second trimester, but I would note that such regulations had to be explicitly for the health of the mother, because the Court ruled that protecting the lives of pre-born children was not a compelling government interest until the third trimester.)

Since that time, over 57.5 million children have died in their mothers’ wombs at the hands of abortionists. To put that into perspective, the largest estimate I have ever seen for the number killed in the Holocaust was 20 million. In only 2-3 years, we will have surpassed three times the highest estimates for the Holocaust. (Now, of course, if the pre-born are not human beings, then this number is meaningless; it might as well be a number of tumors removed from patients by surgeons. But if it’s not a human being, then why do we charge murderers of pregnant women with double homicide? Why do we refer to pre-born children that are “wanted” as babies and ones that are “unwanted” as fetuses?)

The 40 Days for Life campaign seeks to end this horrible scourge upon our land by the most effective weapon possible: prayer. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16). Why prayer? Because “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) Our best weapon is prayer because, in spiritual warfare (which the fight to abolish abortion certainly is spiritual warfare), the only one who can stand up to Satan and his forces is the God of the universe.

This afternoon I spent a few hours outside the Planned Parenthood facility here in Ann Arbor, praying for the women who would visit the facility this week, praying for the abortionists and employees at the facility, and praying that God would draw them to himself and show them the unconditional love, forgiveness, and care that He has for them and that we, as His church, must show. It often feels like nothing that we do is making progress, and yet I know it is. I also know that it is not because of our efforts that it is doing so. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen keeps awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1). We are still called to build, to guard, and to be present there on that sidewalk to plead for the lives of these children, but without God’s help, it is all in vain.

I often find myself despairing. Whether it is courts striking down restrictions, or lawmakers in Congress too cowardly to even bring a bill up for a vote, it seems that we are stalled. But then I remember a simple truth: this is my Father’s world. I found myself singing that several times this afternoon to remind myself of the reality. The third verse in particular gives me hope: “For though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet!”

This Is My Father’s World was written in 1901 by Maltbie D. Babcock, a pastor in Lockport, New York. It is sung to a 1915 arrangement by Franklin L. Sheppard of the traditional English tune Terra Beata.

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, The Lord is in this place.
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

(Public Domain)