Behold a broken world, we pray…
Where want and war increase,
And grant us, Lord, in this our day,
The ancient dream of peace.
A dream of swords to sickles bent,
Of spears to scythe and spade,
The weapons of our warefare spent,
A world of peace remade.
Where every battle-flag flurled
And every trumpet stilled
Where wars shall cease in all the world
A waking dream fulfilled.
No forces of arms shall there prevail
Nor justice cease her sway,
Nor shall their loftiest visions fail
The dreamers of the day.
O Prince of peace, who died to save,
A lost world to redeem,
And rose in triumph from the grave
Behold our waking dream.
Bring, Lord, your better world to birth,
Your kingdom…love’s domain,
Where peace with G-d, and peace on earth,
And peace eternal reign.
By Timothy Dudley-Smith
from “Awake, O Sleeper, Behold a Broken World
