At this time of year I
am often reminded of the story behind King George VI's 1939 Christmas
broadcast. Those of us who watched The King's Speech will
remember seeing the dramatisation of his speech to the nation at the
outbreak of World War II, but this broadcast is possibly better
known, because it included some lines from a poem by Minnie Louise
Haskins.
I
said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give
me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And
he replied:
“Go out
into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That
shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So
I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the
night.
And
He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
The
story is that Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, had seen the
poem and brought it to the attention of the king, and after it was
read out on air (much to the surprise of its author) it quickly
caught on in popular imagination. The poem was later read at the
Queen Mother's funeral in 2002. I used to have a copy of it that I
kept as a bookmark for many years. Some believed Minnie Haskins was
American or Canadian, but in fact she came from the Bristol area, and
was a Congregationalist who studied and lectured at the London School
of Economics, and published a few books of poetry as well.
Surprisingly,
the poem was written many years previously, having been published in
1908,yet it captures perfectly the sense of dread that must have been
felt by so many in the early days of the Second World War, when
Britain and the Empire were isolated, and the fear of what could
happen if Germany invaded our nation made the future seem very bleak.
The
poem reminds us that when we are faced with an unknown future there
is only one remedy, and that is to put our trust in God. Too often
fear can be paralysing, and stop us moving forward, but we are told
to go forward boldly into the darkness, because it is only there that
we will find the guiding hand of our God. The rest of Minnie Haskin's
poem is not well known, but is worth reading. I would like to quote
one more verse, which includes the original title to the poem, God
knows.
God
knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead,
so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are
premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.