These days the world can seem a scary place. Extremism of all kinds is on the rise. People are scared and confused and they are lashing out.

More than ever it seems that this world needs love, hope, mercy and justice. Those are all themes you find running through the Old and New Testament. Sometimes as Christians we get a bit focussed on eternity, but that’s only part of the story.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared song lyrics on a blog, but I recently used my Google Rewards and downloaded an album that has been on my Google wishlist for a while. This song was on there and I thought I’d share the lyrics with you.

I first heard this song when watching some of the coverage of the 150th anniversary of The Salvation Army. I think it’s a new song, but it echos back to older hymns. They’re powerful words for our time, and a call to do more and be more as Christians to world that needs hope now more than ever. I believe it’s attributed to Phil Laeger and Marty Mikles.

Father of this Army, Captain of our soldiers
May Your glory fill the earth
As this world grows colder, may Your troops be bolder
May we fight with only love
May the crosses we bear be the weapons of our warfare
May we even more dare for You
May we even more dare for You

Let our uniform be holiness and mercy
Justice clothed with grace and truth
Those who speak be fearless, those who serve be blameless
Dreamers old and visioned youth
Save us when we look past Jesus as an outcast
Shining, let us hold fast to You
Shining, let us hold fast to You

Breathe onto these dry bones, search the Spirit’s deep groans
Speak into these calloused minds
Faith to make our dreams new, hope as we await You
Love to serve with joy and might
Onward to the conquest, north to south and east to west
Forward to the glorious fight of love
Forward to the glorious fight of love

Onward to the conquest, north to south and east to west
Forward to the glorious fight of love
Forward to the glorious fight of love

I’m reminded of the words in Micah (6:6-8), where the prophet is explaining how the ritual of sacrifices (i.e. religion) is not enough if they are not meaningful, instead God requires more:

With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

You can listen (and sing along, if you want to) with this video:

Photo on Visualhunt