Hymn:
“Moment by Moment” –Daniel W. Whittle (1840-1901)
Tune:
WHITTLE
These hymn-lines basically speak in
a series of ‘never’ statements. It sort of puts us in the territory of never, never…
or Never, Never Land!
Who
doesn’t love the Peter Pan saga of
the Lost Boys who live and fight pirates in the Never Woods on the fictitious island?
In the earliest versions of his play, J. M. Barrie called it the Never, Never,
Never Land, and it has become a metaphor for the escapism of everlasting
childhood. We’ve all seen the movie, the play, the Broadway musical – or read
the Wonder books.
But
these hymn-lines speak of a very grown-up place in which we Christian people are
kept near to the heart of God … year
by year, month by month, week by week, day by day, hour by hour, moment by
moment – as in Tick-Tock the Croc, I guess.
There
is nothing fictitious about this region of living where there is
- never a trial that he is not there
- never a burden that he doth not bear
- never a sorrow that he doth not share
- never a weakness that he doth not feel
- never a sickness that he cannot heal.
It
is merely a list of ‘nevers’ tucked into the second and third stanzas of an old
gospel song. There’s not much to add to its straight-forward message… and/or
its simple truth.
So
move over, Tinkerbell, Wendy Darling, Captain Hook and Peter Pan. The he
in our hymn-line takes center stage… and there’s nothing about him that
is even close to a fairy tale. Welcome to Never, Never, Never, Never, Never
Land!
“Be
content, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you.’" (Hebrews 13:5)
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