Something to Think About, America, on the National Day of Prayer
Thursday, May 5, 2022, is America’s National Day of Prayer. This item came to me as I was preparing a Grow Group lesson as a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Sykesville, Maryland, and it seems particularly relevant as millions of Christians around the country gather together to pray for America, its leaders and its people:
“The year was 1897 and England found herself at the height of her colonial power. It was then the vast British Empire turned its attention to the jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria.
“Around the globe, the rulers of the British-held colonies returned to London for a long summer of self-congratulation. In this golden hour of Britain’s zenith, Rudyard Kipling, England’s best-known poet, was asked to write a piece for this historic occasion.
“Taking this opportunity to sound a much-needed warning, he wrote a powerful poem entitled ‘Recessional 1897.’ It began:
“God of our Fathers, known of old,
“Lord of our far-flung battle line,
“Beneath whose awful hand we hold
“Dominion over palm and pine —
“Lord God of hosts, be with us yet,
“Lest we forget — lest we forget.
“In this brilliant work, Kipling called upon England to look to her storied past, not with pride, but with humility and dependence upon God. He challenged Britain to trust God, not in herself, lest she repeat the now-forgotten mistakes of the past.
“This daring reminder that all earthly success comes from God alone, and that God must not be forgotten, was believed to be the reason Kipling was passed over as the nation’s Poet Laureate.
“A proud people did not want to think like that, especially during the Queen’s jubilee celebration. But Kipling was right, even though his message was not received. If England was to prosperous in the future, he believed, she must not forget the lessons of the past.
Most especially, she must not forget that her many successes were not self-originating, but were from God.” — From “Holman Old Testament Commentary,” pages 13-14, introduction to Psalm 78.