If We Answer

He is fierce and He is tender He's our judge and our defender And He calls us to surrender For He loves us to the core He is frightening and resplendent He is present and transcendent He's enmeshed and independent And He cannot love us more So He calls our names And we fear Him for His goodness For we know He won't be tamed So He calls our names And we wonder if we answer Will we ever be the same He's a comfort and a terror A destroyer and repairer He's more terrible and fairer Than our mortal tongues can say He is hidden and revealing He's appalling and appealing He's our wounding and our healing And He will not turn away Holy Lamb of God And He cannot love us more Holy Lamb of God He is wild, He is wonder He is whispering and He is thunder He is over, He is under And He suffered for our gain He's a comfort and a danger He's a father and a stranger He's enthroned and in a manger And He says we're worth His pain