Our little systems have their day…

206 Keble. L. M.

1 Strong Son of God, immortal Love,
   Whom we, that have not seen Thy face,
   By faith, and faith alone, embrace,
   Believing where we cannot prove;

2 Thou wilt not leave us in the dust;
   Thou madest man, he knows not why,
   He thinks he was not made to die:
   And Thou hast made him: Thou art just.

3 Thou seemest human and divine,
   The highest, holiest manhood, Thou;
   Our wills are ours, we know not how;
   Ours wills are ours, to make them Thine.

4 Our little systems have their day;
   They have their day and cease to be;
   They are but broken lights of Thee,
   And Thou, O Lord, art more than they.
                         Alfred Tennyson
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
I really like that last verse, "Our little systems have their day; / They have their day and cease to be." I, at least, tend to forget that. We think we're creating this huge, resilient system, and in God's eyes, they are just "little systems" that will "have their day" and then "cease to be." If we are lucky, they might leave a trace for some archaeologist in some unforeseen future to dig up. But, the chances are, it will be but dust.

Just an
</idle musing>