This hymn draws its power from the cruciform image of Christ's outstretched arms. Athanasius used that image to powerful effect in his De Incarnatione.
It's a good introduction to a hymn we could do with singing these days, a lot:
"How could He have called us if He had not been crucified, for it is only on the cross that a man dies with arms outstretched? Here, again, we see the fitness of His death and of those outstretched arms: it was that He might draw His ancient people with the one and the Gentiles with the other, and join both together in Himself."
When Christ was lifted from the earth,
his arms stretched out above
through every culture, every birth,
to draw an answering love.
Still east and west his love extends,
and always, near or far,
he calls and claims us as his friends
and loves us as we are.
Where generation, class or race
divide us to our shame,
he sees not labels but a face,
a person and a name.
Thus freely loved, though fully known,
may I in Christ be free
to welcome and accept his own
as Christ accepted me.
(Brian Wren, 1980)
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