Continuing my review of Michael Card's new record, To the Kindness of God.
- Come as You Are
- Hymn to the Kindness of God
- The Shelter of the Shadow
- That Kind of Love
- When Dinah Held My Hand / Jesus Is on the Mainline
- Gomer’s Song
- This Is My Father’s World
- I Will Be Kind
- Why Not Change the World
“This Is My Father’s World” highlights yet another important facet of God’s hesed. Look around you. The trees, the animals, the blood in your veins—all creation tells of a sovereign, loving and faithful Father. “This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me everywhere.”
Those beautiful words are by Maltbie D. Babcock. Many who love this hymn have never heard of the hymn writer. Still fewer know of his tragic end by suicide. I don’t know what darkness brought Maltbie Babcock to take his life, but this I know: No dark demonic power can overshadow the covenant kindness God has for his children.
Michael introduces a couple small yet meaningful changes to this classic hymn text. I first heard Michael sing his version of “This Is My Father’s World” at a concert a few years ago. I was moved by the profound tenderness he had brought to the song. “This is my Father’s world, Why should my heart be sad? He is just and kind, he’s love defined, His grace all the hope that I have.”
This album arrived on the heels of a profound event in my life. In January of this year, my wife gave birth to our first child, a girl. Almost overnight, my understanding of God as Father—as my Father—was transformed. I now see how little I understood dependence, and how far I have to go to be broken of my pride and self-reliance. I see more clearly the pure joy it is to be a child of God, and to rest in his love. The other day we were going for a walk—my wife, our daughter and I. As I was looking up at the sky and the trees overhead, all at once, a thought entered my mind: “this is my Father’s world. My Father.” And it astounded me.
Again I must mention orchestration: the strings on this song are breathtakingly beautiful, like a towering cathedral forest of fir trees. I sense dedication and passion behind its arrangement.
To be continued. Previous posts in this series listed below:
- Intro: https://steemit.com/music/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-introduction
- Track 1: https://steemit.com/music/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-1
- Track 2: https://steemit.com/blog/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-2
- Track 3: https://steemit.com/music/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-3
- Track 4: https://steemit.com/music/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-4
- Track 5: https://steemit.com/music/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-5
- Track 6: https://steemit.com/blog/@thejebi/to-the-kindness-of-god-an-album-review-track-6
Hello @thejebi, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!