By Amanda Udis-Kessler
When I first heard about the call for resources for the Sacred Season for Climate Justice, I thought immediately about the first verse of Psalm 24: “The Earth is God’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” It was then a simple matter to come up with the title for the hymn I would write. The call for resources provided inspiration for some other ideas I would use; I also drew on an earlier hymn of mine, “Who Is My Neighbor?” for additional text.
I found myself moved to use the same word (“earth”) multiple times in the first verse in lieu of rhyming words. I never write in that style, but the hymn seemed to demand it, and when a creative project makes demands on me, I try to listen and obey, since one of the places I hear the voice of the Holy most clearly is in my creative process.
The second verse was inspired in part by the hymn “Turn Back, O Man,” specifically the beginning of that hymn’s third verse: “Earth shall be fair and all her people one. Nor till that hour shall God’s whole will be done.” By referring to God as “love” in the second verse of “All the Earth Belongs to God,” I tried to draw a connection between the love we must offer and the love that strengthens and nourishes us.
The third and fourth verses represent an attempt to balance the urgency with which humanity must act to save the planet with the trust that, when we act with God’s love working through us, we can make a real difference for our lives, the lives of non-human beings, and the lives yet to be. It felt important to end the final verse on a hopeful note.
Musically, I tried to write a relatively traditional hymn tune and accompaniment, one that would be fairly easy to learn and that would have the comfort many Christians associate with this style of music. The topic and some aspects of the text are challenging enough; I wanted the music to offer some sustenance and a reminder of the musical traditions of the Western church.
“We must act now. We cannot wait. There’s still a chance it’s not too late.” May these words and this music inspire you to do your own part to “live in faith and trust and sow a healing seed.”
See the new hymn “All the Earth Belongs to God” here!
Amanda Udis-Kessler is a hymnwriter, songwriter, composer, and writer who specializes in music and lyrics for liberal/progressive religious people and communities, including inclusive, social justice-minded Christians, Unitarian Universalists, and other open-hearted religious traditions. Amanda’s religious music is in use across the US and in Canada, the UK, South Africa, and New Zealand.