Passing along some wise words…including Joan Baez

I am inspired when I run across a writer who values truth, honor and sacrifice. Annie Holmes, at Annie’s Attic, has written a post full of such beautiful words and concepts, here.

“Art matters!”, she begins. “It does indeed. And until reading philosopher Roger Scruton’s work “Beauty: A Very Short Introduction” recently, I didn’t realize just how much the artwork that we praise as beautiful or worthwhile is an indicator of our health—spiritually, nationally, and personally.”

In her post, “Can Art Reveal America’s Soul?” she discusses Art as a Window to Spiritual Health, Art and Sacrifice, and Art Measures Our Rationality.

I highly recommend this excellent article and hope it lifts your soul as it did mine.

A song we sang in elementary school in the 1960s, which is also a popular hymn, “This is My Song” expresses a similarly beautiful sentiment, of truth, freedom, and peace for our home nation, and for all the nations.

Don’t miss this exquisite performance of this song, also called “Finlandia”, sung by Joan Baez in the early 2000s. After a 2-minute short and very sweet interview with well-known artist Joan Baez, she begins singing it for a large crowd.

It is also sung in this video with lyrics and lovely background images.

The words are below:

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a prayer that peace transcends in every place;
and yet I pray for my beloved country —
the reassurance of continued grace:
Lord, help us find our one-ness in the Savior,
in spite of differences of age and race.

May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.

This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth’s kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up ’til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee — let thy will be done.

I invite you as always to share your thoughts!

Do you have some inspiring words to add to bring beauty and inspiration to our day?

Thanks for reading, friends!