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Amazing Grace and other thoughts



Good Morning All, The American Episcopal Church went through a
charasmatic period. In that time there were hymns and songs picked up
from many places and Amazing Grace was one of those. When the 1982
hymnal was published, Amazing Grace was published for the first time.
There are several hymns that catch my throat, the biggest one comes from
my childhood during WWII, called, "The Navy Hymn" - begins:
"Almighty Father, strong to save,
  Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep,
   Its own appointed limits keep:
Oh hear us when we cry to thee,
  For those in peril on the sea."
Notes:  words, sts 1 & 4 William Whiting (1825-1878)
music: Melita, John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876)
The middle two verses commemorate our fighting men on land and in the
air.

On the subject of self-righteousness to kill or destroy as in the Bury
St. Edmunds, Mei-Li, etc.  As humans we get caught up in the fear and
anger of the moment and decend to our baser part.  Anti-Semiticm has
been alive and well in all ages. "Crusading Zeal" - whatever you want to
call it, "The Jews are responsible for the death of Christ" That
particular tune has been played at different times for many reasons.
Could there have been a 'mob leader' who wanted what the jews had -
money and therefore cited the fighting men to kill so that the leader
could have.  The story in Viet Nam and indeed in Korea earlier, was that
the civilians could be cited to carry explosives and commit suicide to
get rid of "the American Devils", or whatever it was they called us.  I
suppose it happened often enough to make soldiers wary of the seemingly
'innocent' civilians.  Certainly I've heard stories from returning
servicemen of that time.  Is there a definite right and wrong, one that
cannot be changed?  We at this distance, say yes. Can/could we have been
'cited' to do 'wrong'?  Think about our politicians, on whatever side of
the ocean, who want us to do what they want. Their rhetoric is a tool to
make us follow them. Think about the media - are they also trying to get
us to follow them in their thinking and perform some action?  Sally

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