Light of the World! Forever, Ever Shining

Light of the world! for­ev­er

ev­er shin­ing

There is no change in Thee;

True light of life

all joy and health en­shrin­ing

Thou canst not fade nor flee.

Thou hast aris­en

but Thou des­cend­eth nev­er;

Today shines as the past;

All that Thou wast

Thou art

and shalt be ev­er

Brightness from first to last!

Night vis­its not Thy sky

nor storm

nor sad­ness;

Day fills up all its blue:

Unfailing beau­ty

and un­fal­ter­ing glad­ness

And love for ev­er new!

Why walk in dark­ness? Our true light yet shin­eth

It is not night

but day!

All heal­ing and peace His light en­shrin­eth

Why shun His lov­ing ray?

Are night and sha­dows bet­ter

tru­er

dear­er

Than day and joy and love?

Do trem­blings and mis­giv­ings bring us near­er

To the great God of love?

Light of the world! un­dim­ming and un­set­ting

O shine each mist away!

Banish the fear

the false­hood

and the fret­ting

Be our un­chang­ing day!