O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

Last night, we attended an Easter concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Chorale. It was a perfect introduction to this Easter weekend. The music was beautiful in every way, reminding us of the blessings we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My favorite piece was the final one. Here are the lyrics:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

it was written by George Matheson in the late 1800's. Here's what he said about this hymn:

"My hymn was composed in the manse of Innelan [Argyle shire, Scotland] on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffer­ing. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out my­self. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a day spring from on high."

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our older brother. I know that he lives! I know that because of his life, death, and resurrection we will be resurrected. I know this is true. And I am humbled by the immensity of His love for me.