Sermonwriters.com What distinguished this old man from other street people was his song. The song he sang under his breath was a simple, repetitive Sunday-school tune. He would sit and quietly sing it, hour after hour after hour. He would sing:
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, Never failed me yet
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet,
There’s one thing I know, For he loves me so…
It was like an endless loop. The song’s final line fed into its first line, starting the tune over and over again without ceasing. The man’s weak, old, untrained voice never wavered from pitch, never went flat, never changed key. The simple intervals of the tune were perfectly maintained for however long he sang.
A performance of the piece based on the recording of this homeless man’s looping Sunday school hymn –Here
Jesus was the world’s most successful Commander. He waged the largest battle ever, over the strongest enemy, for the biggest spoil of war: people.
thanks doc, that was wonderful
What a great story thanks for linking it.
Beautiful.
Preached at the homeless shelter on Easter – always reminds me of how I could have turned out – men desperately needing a break to get the prison stink off or the destroyed family blues.
People clinging to the raggedy possessions and what dignity they may have left. Needing to make eye contact with people who don’t flinch away.
Knowing each of us is an addiction or an illness or a pissed=off boss away.
Meeting in God’s place on His dime.
Pray and help another person when and where you can.
I had a cassette tape of this in the 80s. The first time I heard it I began sobbing about 10 minutes in. So did everyone else in the art studio where Gavin Bryars inadvertently piped the music into. The more current version (on CD) is in 5 parts and lasts over 75 minutes. It’s a fantastic composition. (Try not to think of flowers.)
Oh, this is a newer version of the original. The original used to eventually morph into more of the horn section of the orchestra.
I had tears in my eyes for most of the piece. So simple and beautiful. Faith in a child-like soul.
Hard to believe anyone born in 1943 is still alive today.
🙂