This year's Baptist Assembly featured the hymn "Cry Freedom" which had been specially re-written for the occasion.

A couple of weeks later we sang it in church.  My pianist thought it seemd famliar, went home and dug through her archives from the old 'County Union' days and discovered a copy of the original words published in 1992 and premiered in Leicestershire.

Of course, some verses are of their time - references to El Salvador (Romero's time) and South Africa (apartheid) - and some of the language is dated, but there are some verses that are striking even now...

Cry "freedom" in the church were honest doubts are met with fear

Where vacuum-packed theology makes questions disappear

When journeys end before they start and Mystery is clear!

Cry freedom, cry freedom in God's name...

 

Cry "freedom" to the people whom religion has enslaved

With heresies that tell them they are 'totally depraved'

Say 'God is good and human kind is in his image made!"

Cry freedom, cry freedom in God's name...

Words by Michael Forster, (c) Kevin Mayhew 1992 

I guess we wouldn't sing these verses at Assembly for fear of offending, so bravo Leics County Union for so doing all that time ago.   As I read the Baptist Times and ponder the responses to people who push our envelope a little, I find hints of the theology this song expresses, and am encouraged that by God's grace and God's Spirit 'freedom' might one day be found - "you shall know the truth (not the dogma) and the truth shall set you free".