“In the late 1950s, life for many was a scary proposition. The Cold War had escalated to a point where duck-and-cover drills were practiced on a regular basis in schools. Thousands of preachers were also using the nuclear age as a signal for the end of the world. Many people believed a war between the United States and Soviet Union would soon bring about the destruction of mankind. A newspaper editorial of the day signaled the attitudes of millions when it announced, “God Is Dead.” And with the power to destroy billions resting in the hands of just a few people, it at least seemed like God had stepped back and become a spectator.

In the midst of all this hopelessness, a child’s voice reassured the world that God was still in charge. Laurie London, a young British boy, stepped into the recording studio and cut an American song that was likely a century and a half old. When released, millions seized “He’s God the Whole World in His Hands” as if it were life preserver thrown to a drowning shipwreck victim. Audiences the world over simply couldn’t get enough of the affirmation that God was out there and caring about them.

“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” was born in the fields of the American south. It was written by a slave whose name we will never know. [By someone who] likely experienced more trouble and suffering than any person in the modern age. So the writer of this hymn was not in charge of the present and had no control over the future. Yet in the face of a life with no promise of freedom, [they] found solace in faith. Somehow still believing that a loving God was in charge.”

Let us pray…

In this time of pandemic and calls for racial justice, we pray that we might be like God our Divine Parent, Father and Mother, loving beyond our comprehension. Through this love you birthed the universe, the vastness of galaxies and the preciousness of infants. Father God: teach us to embrace our siblings with the love that only a parent knows. Mother God: give us your patience to never give up on one another or the causes of justice in our world.

Lord, hear our prayer.