Rambling: Hymns

I have a soft spot for old hymns. Not that I don't like modern worship music. Rather, I appreciate any song that has solid lyrics. Some of the hymns have lyrics just as devoid of any real meaning as a bad modern song. However, the good hymns, just the like the good modern songs, have both a solid message in the lyrics and a solid melody. I was visiting a website that has many hymns online, cyberhymnal.org, and I ran across one of my favorites: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The story behind this hymn encouraged me tremendously. Read on to find out about it.

The lyrics, of course, are all about how we should go to the Lord in the midst of trouble, hardship, and trial. According to the cyberhymnal, Joseph M. Scriven wrote the hymn to comfort his mother, who was in Ireland while Scriven was in Canada. However, Scriven was not just writing platitudes. He was writing from experience. You see, prior to going to Canada, Scriven was engaged to be married. One the night before their wedding, his fiancee, while crossing a bridge, was thrown from her horse into the river and drowned. To make matters worse, Scrivner was waiting on the far side of the bridge and saw it all happen. However, that is not the end of the story. In Canada, Scriven met and became engaged to another young woman, who also died prior to their wedding. At some point after the death of his second fiancee, Scriven wrote the lyrics to this well-known him. He truly was writing a testimony to God's faithfulness in His life.