We need a cross to sign the truth

That pain is part of life,

For joys and sorrows intertwine

And growth evolves through strife.

The world of nature often shows

A savage cross-shaped face –

Volcanic lava on the earth –

Exploding stars in space.

A pilgrimage that seeks to flee

From terrors of the night

Will disappear in unreal clouds

That masquerade as light.

Unless we face the complex world

Beyond the simple smile

Our fragile hearts will lie exposed

To all that we revile.

If all the fractures in our hearts

Are ever to be healed

We must embrace the Cosmic God

Which nature has revealed,

For God is earthquake, God is fire,

As well as peace and light,

The God of process is the one

Who comes within the night.

O give us courage, Cosmic God

To own what you reveal,

The courage to confront the worst

Life’s crosses can unseal.

Enshrouded in the meeting point

Of all Earth’s vast extremes

We find your vibrant spirit’s power

To birth cohesive dreams.

Alternative Tune: FOREST GREEN

Text and Music © William Livingstone Wallace.

Click here to see the score:  Wallace.We Need a Cross

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