Words: :

I wrote it in 1908, to­ge­ther with some vers­es about War. These I did in an iron­ic­al vein, and the hymn came as a re­acti­on of re­lief. I have al­ways been in­ter­est­ed in hymn­ol­o­gy, and am a strong be­liev­er in the pow­er of hymns to af­fect the lives of peo­ple. I be­gan a col­lect­ion of hymn­als when a high-school boy.

Music: Pen­te­cost, , 1864; first pub­lished in Thir­ty-two Hymn Tunes Com­posed by Mem­bers of the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Ox­ford, 1868.

Let there be light, Lord God of hosts,
Let there be wisdom on the earth;
Let broad humanity have birth,
Let there be deeds, instead of boasts.

Within our passioned hearts instill
The calm that endeth strain and strife;
Make us thy ministers of life;
Purge us from lusts that curse and kill.

Give us the peace of vision clear
To see our brothers’ good our own,
To joy and suffer not alone,
The love that casteth out all fear.

Let woe and waste of warfare cease,
That useful labor yet may build
Its homes with love and laughter filled;
God give thy wayward children peace.