Rise up, O men of God!

An acquaintance recently wrote on another forum about an article in the latest Touchstone:

In an article in titled "A Requiem for Friendship Why Boys Will Not Be Boys & Other Consequences of the Sexual Revolution" by Anthony Esolen in the September issue of "Touchstone" http://www.touchstonemag.com/ the author calls for 'Christian men with hearts of lions'  to train boys to be men."

 

Unfortunately, this article is not published on line yet, but if you have access to Touchstone you might enjoy reading it. He closed with this hymn

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Rise up, O men of God!

(see verses and hear music and read comment here)

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/i/riseupom.htm

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.

Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong.

Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequal to her task;
Rise up and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!

 

I'm reminded of an icon of  Centurion George in the Chapel of the Centurions that I often contemplate. It shows George on horseback slaying the mythical dragon of evil in the world. This hymn really captures the Spirit of George and our other "centurions" who have risen in the past to take up their cross and follow Christ and fight the good fight to "end the night of wrong."

William P. Merrill (1867-1954)

Words: Will­iam P. Mer­rill, 1911; first pub­lished in the Pres­by­ter­i­an news­pa­per The Con­ti­nent. Mer­rill wrote: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/i/riseupom.htm