Friday 22 July 2011

For Norway

I have met and prayed with some Norwegian Christians. The tragic deaths in Oslo and at a holiday island youth camp will mark that country for years to come. May God strengthen the Norwegians in all that is best in them and in their culture and traditions. Below is the Norwegian national hymn being sung on the occasion of the king's 70th birthday.




Here is the translation of the three most popular verses;

Yes, we love this country Which rises up,
Rugged and weathered, above the sea,
With its thousands of homes.
Love it, love it and think
About our mothers and fathers
And the saga of past ages
That sends dreams to our earth,
And the saga of past ages
That sends dreams, sends dreams to our earth.

Norseman, in house and cabin,
Thank your great God!
It was His will to protect the country
Although things looked dark.
While fathers fought
And mothers cried,
Our Lord quietly opened the way
So that we won our right.
Our Lord quietly opened the way
So that we won, we won our right.

Yes, we love this country
Which rises up,
Rugged and weathered, above the sea,
With its thousands of homes.
And as our fathers' struggle has raised it
From distress to victory,
We also, when called upon,
Will strike a blow for its peace.
We also, when called upon,
Will strike a blow for its peace, its peace.

5 comments:

  1. Beautiful hymn Father, thank you for sharing that. Prayers for those who lost their lives so tragically and the families they left behind.

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  2. So shocking, no matter how many times events like this are reported.

    God help their families and the souls taken in such violence.

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  3. Horrific that this man's actions have been associated with Christianity in the media.

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  4. This is a rogue human being who was given access to lethal firearms through which he could act out his distorted obsessions; not fundamentalist Christianity, as the story is beginning to emerge. Thank goodness.

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  5. Very beautiful, Father, thank you for posting this (and your other recent posts as well).

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