Most civilized people do not enjoy wars, but wars are a sad reality of life. Jesus said, "In this world you shall have tribulation." The Bible goes on to say that in the last days, there shall be wars and rumors of wars until the Prince of Peace returns. In our hymnals are songs that relate to battle such as Onward Christian Soldiers, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Sound the Battle Cry to name a few. One that is hard to find, however, is Once to Every Man and Nation. This hymn, originally entitled The Present Crisis, was written out of protest; yet it offers, for us today, great truths to help during times of conflict.

James Russell Lowell, the author, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1819. His father was the pastor of the West Congregational Church in Boston for 55 years. James graduated from Harvard in 1838 and, as a lawyer, became an ardent champion of abolition. In 1876, President Hayes appointed him minister to the court of Spain and, in 1880, transferred him to Great Britain. Over the years, he was in great demand as a public speaker.

The poem, The Present Crisis, first appeared in print on December 11, 1845, in the Boston Courier. The 18 stanzas voiced Lowell's protest against the war with Mexico over the territory of Texas. James feared the acquisition of new territory would only enlarge the area of slavery in the United States. Eventually, music was added and the poem of protest became a hymn of challenge: "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side."

Written over 158 years ago, Once to Every Man and Nation is a great reminder of who is in control of history and will ultimately write the last chapter.

Yet that scaffold sways the future
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above his own.

We would do well as a nation to seek to be and stay God's very own through His Son, Jesus Christ, before it's too late.