Howard Walter penned this poem, that was later put to music, from Japan in 1906. As a hymn, it is titled: “I Would Be True;” but Walter titled the poem as: “My Creed.” These words truly inspire, challenge, and show us how to improve our own lives to this day.

“I would be true, for there are those who trust me; I would be pure, for there are those who care; I would be strong for there is much to suffer; I would be brave for there is much to dare; I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.”

Walter was born in Connecticut in August of 1883. He graduated from Princeton with honors and continued to Japan to teach the English language. He then returned to the United States to become a minister and volunteered to work in India.

Walter had sent his poem to his mother, and after she submitted it to Harper’s magazine, it was published. Sadly, all his life, Walter suffered from a heart condition that he succumbed to at the age of thirty-five during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

“I would be prayerful through each passing moment; I would be constantly in touch with God; I would be strong to follow where He leads me; I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.”

Is this your Creed, as it was this young man’s? We can all use this song to guide our actions. “Ye shall know them by their fruits, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

The Church of God teaches a life free from sin that can bring forth good fruit, no matter what this world faces! Let this be our creed: Be true, be brave, have love, and keep the path Christ trod. Let us stand up and be counted as Christians.

By C. Smith