“As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free”

^yowza.

This was written by a lady abolitionist named Julia Ward Howe in the middle of the civil war.

Being a martyr isn’t like being an activist. It’s different.

“I awoke…in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished-for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, ‘I shall lose this if I don’t write it down immediately.”

Ugh life is ancient.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His Judgement Seat.
Oh! Be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

most renditions say ‘let us live’ instead of ‘die.’ but I like die better.

what ache.

what would you risk your life for? like literally. not to feel better about yourself. just because u sincerely care enough. I want this sort of conviction. but I actually probably don’t. but then if u don’t have it, then rlly what is the point of life. but so many of us do not have it. right now. we’ve lost that ancient perspective of the fact that life is a crusade, really. ache & cruelty is like literally rampant & we forget it. I don’t know if god wants me to have a happy life. I rlly don’t. i’m expendable, ya know. & I know ppl r always like, the lord has plans for me yada yada yada. & when they say those things they r talking about their precious college majors or career goals or future spouse or whatever. but idk if god rlly actually cares about u getting your fantasy wedding. know what I mean. I think the evangelical church in america has in many many ways become some sort of ego serving self help hour. & I get it. & obviously god cares about every little detail of your life. but the timeline is so much bigger than those details u know. & maybe instead of living the american dream he wants u to go die for something. I don’t know. that doesn’t mean much coming from me, rlly. i’m a naive child girl. & I don’t know a lot about death. but i’ve read about ppl who literally risked their lives for the sake of others & I just can’t imagine having that much conviction & compassion & sincere belief in truth & god & eternity & all of that. okay. that’s all. goodnight.