“England hath need of thee”

The scene above was common place in my teenage years in N. Ireland. It is depressing to see the above image of the events over the past few days in many cities such as Liverpool, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Bristol, and Belfast, to name a few. In 1802 the Lakeland poet William Wordsworth wrote about London and addressed the poem to deceased poet John Milton (1608-1674). In the aftermath of the French Revolution and upon returning from some time in France, Wordsworth writes with deep concern about how selfish his own society had become observing that England had given up the joys and delights of nature “plain living and high thinking are no more” – England 1802. Wordsworth believed we were chasing after wealth not wisdom, glory not goodness. In the poem below addressed to Milton, Wordsworth wishes for Milton’s return and a return to the values which Milton wrote about 200 years earlier in Paradise Lost and in Paradise Regained! Today, we can replace England with whichever country we have love for and together declare we “…hath need of thee” Wordsworth describes England as a “fen” – a swamp, and calls for a return to “cheerful godliness” The Christian Church can stand accused of many things but at the heart there lies the possibility of transformation in the cheerful godliness that reconciles rather than divides, hopes and heals rather than despairs and destroys, brings life and love to triumph over evil and death. Yes, O God, we hath need of thee! Ponder Wordsworth’s words and take time to pause and pray.

To Milton ( London 1802)
Milton! thou should’st be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life’s common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay. William Wordsworth.

Prayer:
Holy and Loving God,
we have heard your invitation to follow
and we have tried. At times we have found
ourselves far from your path, we have become lost
due to our own desires, our own self-seeking pleasures,
our own mistaken ambitions. Forgive us, and welcome
us back that we might try once again to follow where
you lead, to love as you love, to forgive as you forgive,
to welcome all as you welcomed all.
Holy and Loving God,
we hath need of thee. Amen.