Behold a Broken World

Representative Text

1 Behold a broken world, we pray,
where want and war increase,
and grant us, Lord, in this our day,
the ancient dream of peace:

2 A dream of swords to sickles bent,
of spears to scythe and spade,
the weapons of our warfare spent,
a world of peace remade;

3 Where every battle-flag is furled
and every trumpet stilled,
where wars shall cease in all the world,
a waking dream fulfilled.

4 No force of arms shall there prevail
nor justice cease her sway;
nor shall their loftiest visions fail
the dreamers of the day.

5 O Prince of peace, who died to save,
a lost world to redeem,
and rose in triumph from the grave,
behold our waking dream.

6 Bring, Lord, your better world to birth,
your kingdom, love's domain;
where peace with God, and peace on earth,
and peace eternal reign.

Author: Timothy Dudley-Smith

Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926) Educated at Pembroke College and Ridley Hall, Cambridge, Dudley-Smith has served the Church of England since his ordination in 1950. He has occupied a number of church posi­tions, including parish priest in the diocese of Southwark (1953-1962), archdeacon of Norwich (1973-1981), and bishop of Thetford, Norfolk, from 1981 until his retirement in 1992. He also edited a Christian magazine, Crusade, which was founded after Billy Graham's 1955 London crusade. Dudley-Smith began writing comic verse while a student at Cambridge; he did not begin to write hymns until the 1960s. Many of his several hundred hymn texts have been collected in Lift Every Heart: Collected Hymns 1961-1983 (1984), Songs of Deliverance: Thirt… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Behold a broken world
Title: Behold a Broken World
Author: Timothy Dudley-Smith (1985)
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Words © 1985 Hope Publishing Co.

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
Page Scan

Catholic Book of Worship III #538

Text

Moravian Book of Worship #691

TextAudio

The United Methodist Hymnal #426

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement II #115

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us