If I Had a Hammer

Pete Seeger and Lee Hays wrote a song in 1949 entitled, "If I Had a Hammer." This song was originally a part of the progressive movement, and later became an anthem of the American Civil Rights movement.

Consider the lyrics:
If I had a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this land
I'd hammer out danger
I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

If I had a bell
I'd ring it in the morning
I'd ring it in the evening
All over this land
I'd ring out danger
I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

If I had a song
I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening
All over this land
I'd sing out danger
I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

Well I've got a hammer
And I've got a bell
And I've got a song to sing
All over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's the song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

I can relate to the sentiment of this song - but in a different way. I have always wanted to have a hammer that would break the hearts of sinful men. I have always wanted to have a bell that everyone could hear at once, that would call them to feast upon the word of God. I have always wanted a song to reside in the souls of men, because of the love they have with God and with one another because of the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

But wait - we do have a hammer, we just aren't hammerning! We do have a bell, we just aren't ringing! We do have a song, we just aren't singing!

"Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? ~ Jeremiah 23:29