Lyrics of Thomas Hewitt Jones – The Medway Hymn (from ‘Regards from Rochester’)

1. A thousand hearts and voices singing
Of souls that speak of distant earthly past,
Such precious moments everlasting
Whence hope can reign steadfast,
And with their song comes understanding
Of the trials of time,
Now past and future meet at last.

2. We will accept the challenge clearly,
To tend our earth, this place where we reside;
To love our friends and neighbours dearly
And hold our love beside;
Earth is not ours, we must respect it;
It must be our guide,
May it be never cast aside.

3. What of the truth that Jesus taught us,
To heal our ills and earthly pain and stress?
To bring the hope that he had bought us:
Such fears he will assuage.
To live and love with understanding,
That God is love,
A precious gift from age to age.

4. Of all the years that follow after,
We came from dust; to dust we shall return.
To breathe a dream of global living
Which peace will fast endow.
Not what we take, but what we’re giving,
May our leaders learn
That they must start the process now.

5. Though whence we come is unimportant,
We shall salute our elders and their graft;
To give the precious gift of kindness,
And spread it through our craft.
We’ll build an ever better future
With a binding chain;
Such buoyant heights we will attain.

6. Then when one day we’ll meet in heaven
To greet the souls of distant earthly past,
Whose daily lives were full of trials
Not all so far from us.
Through all the years of love and laughter,
This is our refrain:
Until the day we meet again.