Pray Always

Ephesians 4: 32.

“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

The most difficult time for America in my lifetime was the 1960’s. In 1963, the President of the United States was shot and killed. Five years later, his brother, the Attorney General and a presidential candidate, was murdered. The same year, the champion of civil rights and nonviolence was killed. There were protests about the Vietnam War, and students occupied college administration buildings. Racial tensions were inflamed across the country, and the unrest had the entire nation on edge.

In the midst of all of this, two guys wrote a song. They wrote it to send another message. They wrote it to dial back the anger and present a different reality. They offered the song to Tony Bennett, but he turned it down. They turned to a guy who was best known as a bandleader and trumpeter and was at the tail end of his career.

Louis Armstrong recorded “What a Wonderful World,” and some historians said that this song may have helped swing the nation’s pendulum back from pessimism to optimism and changed the direction of our country.

Here are some of the lyrics:

I see trees of green, red roses too,

I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The song goes on to express optimism for the future. It’s amazing what a change in perspective can do to transform the future. A very pessimistic outlook became positive because people began to move from focusing on what was wrong to what was right.

This is the council of the Bible. This is what is needed when people are at odds. Paul says to the church in Ephesus, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

This is a tough time, just as the 1960s were tough. But as believers, we have the key that turns negative into positive and restores our perspective. Right now, let’s get rid of bitterness and anger. Right now, let’s be kind to each other. When we are, it’s a wonderful world.

Prayer

Dear God, I commit to be the kind of person who heals divisions, who builds bridges, who helps make your world wonderful. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.