Hymn #345 in Celebrating Grace Hymnal — “When Morning Gilds the Skies”
[pullquote_center width=”65%”]Does sadness fill my mind? A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss? My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised![/pullquote_center]
This anonymous German text from around 1800 contains as many as twelve verses (as did many older hymns). Our modern hymnals pick and choose which four or five “make the cut” to be printed and passed on, and occasionally these differ from hymnal to hymnal, and from edition to edition. Absent from our current hymnal is one of the most comforting hymn verses of all time for me, that printed above. I think it provides a nice (or stunning, depending on your viewpoint) contrast to the other, included verses. What do you think?
Probably none of us, if we live long enough, will avoid the deep ache of sadness. Some may be fortunate, and experience only brief periods of “fadedness”. Others, through life circumstance or brain chemistry, may slog through long terms of depression and sadness. And, because Jesus walked this life fully human, we can surmise that he experienced every emotion common to humanity, including the dark cloud of sadness. This thought is so comforting to me—to know that I can experience nothing that my Savior has not experienced first. And out of that comfort can come praise. In my darkest moment, I can cling to Christ, and sing my anguished, confused, joyful song of praise, faint or full though it may be.
May Jesus Christ be praised.