build a fire and fan the flame sacrifice without a name offerings on the altar to the unknown god multitudes of gods cover our landscapes and our lives images of deities and halls of sacrifice philosophers and scholars and sophisticates we are our gods are our religion and religion is our god a stranger came to town one day and fearlessly proclaimed the unknown god you worship on this altar has a name he said this god is not an image or a statue of the dead in him we live and have our being as your own poets have said build a fire and fan the flame sacrifice without a name offerings on the altar to the unknown god dance around the altar blaze bring the works your hands have made place them on the altar to the unknown god he dwells not in temples built by human hands he needs no assistance or service of man the nameless you worship is greater than all your idols of death never answer your call all nations he formed from the flesh of one man he marked out their times and the boundaries of lands your life and your breath he bestows with the day so seek him and find him for he is not far away fire upon the altar burns the sacrifice sacrificial lamb was slain to pay the final price come ye heavy laden sinner s mercy cry the unknown god you call upon is nigh  gather round the altar stoke the holy fire purifying flames of righteousness are rising higher come ye hungry eat the bread of life and drink the wine altar to the living god divine no image of stone or of silver and gold no effigy mankind has raised to behold the day and the hour of judgment is set he s proven him by the resurrection of the dead build a fire and fan the flame sacrifice without a name offerings on the altar to the unknown god stand before the altar blaze bring the lives his hands have made place them on the altar to the one true god your unknown god is the one living god2