Were You There?

Most of our Good Friday hymns invite us into the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion in a personal way. We are invited to see and experience our suffering Savior. For example, “Go to dark Gethsemane,” “turn not from his griefs away,” “see from his head, his hands, his feet,” “stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him dying on the tree.” Even more striking are the lyrics that place us as the crucifiers. “Ah, Holy Jesus” states “I crucified Thee.” This is not just remembering an event that happened two thousand years ago. It is bringing Jesus’ sacrifice into the present.

The hymn “Were You There” is a favorite for many people on Good Friday. Not much is known about the history of the song, except that it is an African American spiritual written before the civil war. It holds the same invitation to place ourselves at the events surrounding Jesus’ death. Yet, given the context of when it was written, it adds another element. It was written by those who experienced the worst of human suffering. They were humiliated, beaten, and mocked. They had a Savior who has been humiliated, beaten, and mocked. But he willingly suffered and died out of love for each of his children, and even more amazingly has come near and understands the greatest of human suffering. Through Lenten hymns we are invited to come close to the One who has come close to us. 

God loves you and comes near to you. God bless you this Holy Week.

Dr. Jill Schroeder-Dorn, Director of Worship Arts