Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind

用現在的說法，讀到這幾句，當時我就驚了：

In simple trust like theirs who heard
Beside the Syrian sea
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.

2015，誰會不記得”Beside the Syrian sea”所發生的事情。
（誰的平安夜？你不信，可是你在過聖誕節，不，過節）
（誰和誰的過節）
（昨天下班的時候大塞車，小黃司機說：聖誕前夕啊，美國人過年）

Neil Hannon的版本刪掉了第4段，你想像1988年的他參加如今的《XX好XX》《我是XX》《XX大道》，
評語一定是「有破音」，
可是他動了真感情，（我不是說飆高音／假音）尤其是
“Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm. ”
誰會不動容呢？
像戀人漫長的獨白，一切無憑無據，
可是，我信，你在

1.
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
2.
In simple trust like theirs who heard
Beside the Syrian sea
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.
3.
O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee
The silence of eternity
Interpreted by love!
4.
With that deep hush subduing all
Our words and works that drown
The tender whisper of Thy call,
As noiseless let Thy blessing fall
As fell Thy manna down.
5.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
6.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.