thinking this morning

 Partly because Bluesky (my usual post-exercise, pre-breakfast distraction) seems to be totally down now, but also because of the devotional for today that I subscribe to (they come from the UCC, which is a denomination somewhat allied with mine, and often the devotionals have good food for thought), I got to thinking about "sides."

And I was reminded of Mark Twain's satiric "War Prayer," which I read years and years ago - I thought then it was about the Civil War, but he wrote it in 1904 or so, but apparently he was actually writing about the Spanish-American/Philippine-American War (which he opposed as an imperialistic war) or really, war in general

If you're not familiar, an extract of it is here. 

And yes, the idea of sides. We see everyone taking sides now, and it feels like a lot is at stake. I am hoping for cooler heads to prevail - or for people to be "convicted" (to use the good old Protestant usage of it) by re-reading things like the War Prayer and realizing "praying for destruction and misery for our opponents not only makes us worse people, but hurts us as well"

There's also a hymn we used to very occasionally sing in my parents' church - the text is a modification of James Russell Lowell's This Present Crisis.

Lowell was an abolitionist  (a lot of the good American 19th century poets were) and he opposed the Mexican-American War and the annexation of Texas (which apparently was believed would increase the power of the South and further cement slavery as a thing). It's said he was asked to write something "as stirring as La Marseillaise" and it's especially stirring as a hymn setting. (I think it's a shame more churches do not sing this, though I suppose in our divided times, people could interpret it as being for one "side" or the other politically, a no-no in churches now)

It's been set to a variety of tunes, but to my ear, the BEST one for it is a modification of Welsh hymn tune (Ton-y-Botel) and that was the one we would sing. It's a stirring tune, and it fits well with the words that are basically exhorting us to choose the better angels of our nature. It's the kind of hymn that makes me want to get up and go out and do something GOOD for the world. 

 Apparently this was used in a Call of Duty video game? Which seems odd to me because it doesn't SEEM particularly militaristic, but perhaps rather a call to all people that "sometimes it's going to be hard and dangerous, but you are called on to choose the side of love and mercy, and work to free people if that comes to you"