Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life

Times Square, New York, New York

Image Source = Terabass

Words by the Reverend Frank Mason North (1850-1935), a minister of the late Methodist Episcopal Church, a forerunner of The United Methodist Church (1968-); North, concerned with social justice, was active in the movement to end child labor and served as President of the Federal Council of Churches, a forerunner of the National Council of Churches, from 1916 to 1920

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1905), of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; the hymn appeared first in this book

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1.  Where cross the crowded ways of life,

Where sound cries of race and clan,

Above the noise of selfish strife,

We hear thy voice, O Son of man!

2.  In haunts of wretchedness and need,

Of shadowed thresholds dark with fears,

From paths where hide the lures of greed,

We catch the vision of thy tears.

3.  From tender childhood’s helplessness,

From woman’s grief, man’s burdened toil,

From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,

Thy heart has never known recoil.

4.  The cup of water given for thee

Still holds the freshness of thy grace;

Yet long these multitudes to see

The sweet compassion of thy face.

5.  O Master, from the mountain side,

Make haste to heal these hearts of pain,

Among these restless throngs abide,

O tread the city’s street’s again,

6.  Till sons of men shall learn thy love

And follow where thy feet have trod:

Till glorious from thy heaven above

Shall come the city of our God.