November 11, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, November 11.
On this Veteran’s Day, we focus on the story behind the song, “Onward Christian Soldiers”. The lyrics were written in 1865 by British pastor and novelist, Sabine Baring-Gould (what a great name!). The music was composed by Arthur Sullivan, famous as one half of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta team.
This hymn was adopted as the theme song of the Salvation Army, has long been associated with Christian missionaries, and was sung at the funeral of President - and five-star general - Dwight Eisenhower. Surprisingly, the song was originally written for children to sing as they marched in a town parade. In the 1970’s, objections were made about the hymn’s perceived theme of militarism. Fans of the song noted that the Bible contains many verses that allude to soldiers and battle and war. These include -
- Ephesians 6:11 - “Put on the full armor of God.”
- Psalm 18:39 - “You armed me, O God, with strength for battle.”
- I Timothy 6:12 - “Fight the good fight of the faith.”
And the verse that inspired Sabine Baring-Gould, I Timothy 2:3, - “Join with me in suffering, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. Today we remember the men and women who “stood a post” as soldiers of our country. Thank you for your service!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
