God of the Free
Stephen Vincent Benet received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929 for his long narrative poem, “John Brown’s Body.” He is most famous, however, for his short story, “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1938 and was made into a movie in 1941. The story is about a New England farmer who, despairing over his bad luck, made a pact with the devil. When the final payment came due, Daniel Webster defended him before a jury of famous evil-doers. Even though these jurors were under the devil’s jurisdiction, Webster won the case by appealing to their innately American trait of independence. Benet’s feelings for American patriotism and freedom are major themes of the story. In 1942 he wrote a prayer for President Roosevelt reflecting these same themes. The president recited the prayer before the nation on Flag Day of that year:
God of the free, we pledge our hearts and lives today to the cause of all free mankind. Grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men and nations. Grant us faith and understanding to cherish all those who fight for freedom as if they were our brothers. Grant us brotherhood in hope and union, not only for the space of this bitter war, but for the days to come which shall and must unite all the children of earth… We are all children of earth—grant us that simple knowledge. If our brothers are oppressed, then we are oppressed. If they hunger, we hunger. If their freedom is taken away, our freedom is not secure. Grant us a common faith that man shall know bread and peace—that he shall know justice and righteousness, freedom and security, an equal opportunity and an equal chance to do his best, not only in our own lands, but throughout the world. And in that faith let us march, toward the clean world our hands can make. Amen.127
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
—Galatians 5:1