God Passes

The year’s at the spring, 

And day’s at the morn;

Morning’s at seven; 

The hill-side’s dew-pearled;

The lark’s on the wing;

The snail’s on the thorn;

God’s in His [sic] heaven-

All’s right with the world!

I know it's Autumn, but the clear cool mornings of late have reminded me of these classic lines from Robert Browning's dramatic poem "Pippa Passes".  The poem is about a peasant girl, Pippa, who during the course of a day passes through the lives of several people who are in places of conflict and tension, reminding them of the good and virtue in the world. 

I first heard and learned these words as lyrics of a musical arrangement sung by a children's church choir I was in.  I remember walking along by myself to school on a cool, crisp, sunny, blue skied morning.  Wearing a new pair of Keds, my lunch sack in one hand, books in the other, and a ball glove hanging from my belt, I passed through a meadow still damp with morning dew and filled with wild flowers.  I sang those words at the top of my voice, and I wonder to this day if anyone but God and me heard them.

One of our old church hymns says, "There's a wideness in God's mercy..."  It's true - regardless of what is going on in the world or our particular lives, the sunrise, the hillside, the dew, the lark, the snail the thorn, and even stormy skies are always witness to and reminder of God's Eternal Presence.

"...And God said, 'It is good.  It is very good!'...The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork... do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear... Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet God feeds them... neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus..."      Genesis, Psalms, Matthew, Romans