“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour” are lyrics from the hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory” written in the summer of 1930 by Harry Emerson Fosdick. He composed these words while serving as pastor for Riverside Church in New York City during the construction of their new building. In a time when the world was experiencing immense distress – The Great Depression, Dust Bowl, Prohibition and the Nazi Party gaining popularity – Fosdick was reflecting on how his Church could be a community of prayer and action. And as the lyrics suggest, he was seeking both wisdom and courage.
Jewish scholar Abraham Ibn Ezra wrote, “Wisdom is to the soul what food is to the body.” We often confuse wisdom with knowledge. Wisdom, however, comes not from an accumulation of facts but rather an openness to seeing beyond the present moment to both learnings of the past and future possibility. It is the capacity to embody a space of both reflection and wonder.
Prominent civil rights leader James L. Farmer, Jr. wrote, “Courage, after all, is not being unafraid, but doing what needs to be done in spite of fear.” Courage arises from the depths of our being, providing the inner strength to confront what we and others might deem insurmountable. Courage is the fuel that provides the capacity to propel us forward into the mighty wind which is attempting to hold us back.
Every time I hear this hymn sung I can’t help but notice how folks belt it out with great fervor. My sense is, like Henry Emerson Fosdick, people today also see a world experiencing a significant amount of challenge and are in need of both wisdom and courage – prayer and action.
And we do need both. We need the wisdom that comes from deeply reflecting on our learnings and possibilities. We need the courage to step forward and do what needs to be done. The good news is it will all happen by grace.
“May you have the wisdom to enter generously into your own unease
To discover the new direction your longing wants you to take.” – John O’Donohue
“May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.” – John O’Donohue