The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.

Music

Conductor: Mack Wilberg
Organist: Brian Mathias
Narrator: Lloyd Newell

“The Morning Breaks”¹
Music: George Careless
Lyrics: Parley P. Pratt
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“A Child’s Prayer”²
Music and Lyrics: Janice Kapp Perry

“Recessional” (organ solo)
Music: Robert Cundick

“Oh, Watch the Stars”
Music: Spiritual
Lyrics: Traditional, additional verses by David Warner
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“And God Said: The Day Shall Dawn”³ from King David
Music: Arthur Honegger

“When in Our Music God Is Glorified”
Music: Charles Villiers Stanford
Lyrics: Fred Pratt Green
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

1. On the CD Praise to the Man and in the CD set The Missionary Collection.
2. On the CDs Love Is Spoken Here, Peace Like a River and in the CD set Anniversary Collection.
3. On the CD Once Upon a Christmas.

The Spoken Word

Charles Bridge—Strength, Unity, and Hope

Here in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic in the heart of Europe, beautiful and historic sites are at nearly every turn. The German writer Goethe once called this city “the most precious stone in the … crown of the world.”¹

This Gothic stone bridge, known as Charles Bridge, is one of the most well-known landmarks in the world, and among the most breathtaking. Commissioned by the king of Bohemia in the 14th century, the bridge crosses the Vltava River, connecting the two sides of Prague, and leads to Prague Castle on the hill.

But in many ways, Charles Bridge is more than a convenient means of travel. It signifies strength, unity, and hope. Think of the millions of people who have passed here over the centuries: travelers, merchants, hostile fighters, and friendly visitors. This bridge has survived world wars, occupations, natural disasters, and the day-to-day life of a busy city for over 600 years. Charles Bridge has become a connecting point for Prague, for the Czech Republic, and, in a sense, for all of Europe.

That’s what bridges do. They connect people—usually crossing barriers that would otherwise be impassable. They unite us with people who were once separate, distant. They allow us to interact with, cooperate with, and understand one another. With so many forces that divide us, we need more of these kinds of bridges because they lead us to hope.

Václav Havel, the well-known Czech writer and first president of the Czech Republic, likely crossed this bridge many times. He observed, “Hope is not a conviction that something will turn out well, but a certainty that something has a meaning regardless of how it turns out.”²

Charles Bridge has certainly been through good times and bad, moments of darkness and light. And through it all, it still stands, strong and steady, a reminder that unity is possible and worth pursuing, even if there are obstacles in the way. No matter how deep, dark, or troubled the waters, there’s always a way to get to the other side of our differences, connect with one another, and find meaning. There’s always a path to hope.