Author: William W. Reid Jr Meter: 8.6.8.6 D Appears in 9 hymnals Lyrics: 1 The city is alive, O God,
with sound of hustling feet,
with rapid change and flashing lights
that pulse through every street;
but oft there's inhumanity
behind the bright facade,
and throngs with empty, hungering hearts
cry out for help, O God.
2 Is it your will, O loving God,
that races live in strife,
that loneliness and greed and hate
should mark a city's life?
Do you desire one person's wealth
to keep another poor?
Must crime and slums and lust abound?
O Lord, is there no cure?
3 In Galilee the people heard
your servant Christ declare
through healing touch, through word and cross,
the good news of your care.
He said your heart touched every heart
that longed for peace and right,
that those bowed down by burdens borne
could find your life, your light.
4 O God, inspire your church today
to take Christ's servant role,
to love the world, to hear its claims
to sense its yearning soul,
to live within the marketplace,
to serve both weak and strong,
to lose itself, to share its dream,
to give the world its song. Topics: Biblical Names and Places Galilee; City; Culture, Community & Nation; Poverty and Oppression; Race Relations Scripture: Matthew 10:39 Used With Tune: STAR OF COUNTY DOWN
The City Is Alive, O God