You Are Love and Love Alone

All Sons and Daughters adapt a nineteenth century hymn text for “You Are Love and Love Alone.” It begins as a prayer of approach: “God and Father, great and holy, fearing not, we come to Thee, fearing not, though weak and lowly, for Your love has set us free.” The old wording gives it a formal and reverent feel.

The second verse looks at creation: “By the blue sky bending over, by the green earth's flowery home, teach us, Lord, the angel chorus.” This leads to the line that gives the song its refrain, “You are Love and love alone.” The third verse imagines the end of everything, “Though the world's in flame should perish, sun and stars in ruin fall,” and tells the heart to trust God, asking him to be “our all in all.” A modern lyric then adds the line “how perfectly our hearts are made for love,” which connects the old text to a fresh image. The refrain is repeated until it becomes a declaration, and the melody is calm. It suits a quiet service of worship or a time of reflection on who God is.

God as love is 1 John 4:8. The heavens declaring his glory is Psalm 19:1, and being adopted without fear is Romans 8:15.