A Look at Adolphe Monod's “My Calling”

by R.A. Miller
Published July 17th, 2022

Adolphe Monod was a French Protestant pastor. Called to the ministry at age fourteen, Monod wrote this poem on the occasion of his fifteenth birthday. It reflects his feelings toward being called into the ministry. It is interesting to note that when he wrote this poem, he wasn’t even converted. Yet, we might conclude, that God was calling Monod both to Himself and into the pulpit. In these lines, we can see the impression that God had made on the young Monod, as the middle section of this poem shows his zeal for ministry. Fortunately, God opened the eyes of Monod later on in life and converted him so that these words were not written in vain.

World, ‘tis not thee whose air I inhale.
My heart finds no hope in that which must fail.
Wealth, glory, honors, flee far from my gaze,
For I know your great greed and your dangerous ways.
From your treacherous traps, he will rescue my soul;
It is him, him alone, whose ways I would know.
Taken up with his laws, my desire and my care;
To lead Christians my love for the Savior to share;
To walk in the steps of the dearest of fathers,
And devote myself fully to saving my brothers.
Christians, dear flock, I am your shepherd;
Come, follow me to the house of the Lord.
Poor and afflicted, come there to find grace,
And come seek a cure your grief to erase.
Rich, learn to merit your wealth and your fame;
Righteous, come join me in praising God’s name.
Sinners, come learn of a Father’s true love.
Oh, if through great goodness bestowed from above,
This God would allow me to lead unto him
A brother in sadness and hardened by crime,
Oh, what gladness, what transports of joy would be mine!

Poem taken from Constance K. Walker’s biography on Adolphe Monod.