The rest of it in essence was - why take a light when you could take God's hand - that taking God's hand was a better choice than a light. Thanks for your help!
2006-12-31 11:53:06 · 4 answers · asked by Pamela R 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
These words were made famous by King George VI of Britain, who used them to conclude his 1939 Christmas Day Message to the empire, just a few months after the beginning of World War II.
“I feel that we may all find a message of encouragement in the lines which, in my closing words, I would like to say to you:-
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be better than a light, and safer than a known way.'”
These are the opening lines from "The Gate of the Year", the 1908 poem by Minnie Louisa Haskins. The words of the poem are:
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year
'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be better than a light, and safer than a known way.'
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God
Trod gladly into the night
He led me towards the hills
And the breaking of day in the lone east.
So heart be still
What need our human life to know
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife of things
Both high and low
God hideth His intention.
2006-12-31 15:32:17 · answer #1 · answered by Matthia 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You live in dark and you have two options:
1)Light.
2)God's hand.
You choose god's hand (I think it just means god's company) will protect you in the dark. Like let us say you are scared of the dark and you do not feel scared while light is on, but may be even if there is light someone can still hurt you, but darkness with god's hand is much more powerful, and protective. So darkness should not be scary.
2006-12-31 20:04:06 · answer #2 · answered by The Calculus Alchemist 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is supposed to be the ultimate and most definitely brightest of the brightest light. So why settle for less than the very brightest is the essence of this quote.
2006-12-31 23:13:56 · answer #3 · answered by pat z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you smoke bring a lighter next time.
2006-12-31 21:15:26 · answer #4 · answered by Andres 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋