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 ome have acclaimed it as the greatest hymn
ever written! One soldier would have good reason to agree. Some years
after the Civil War old soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies
met together. A former Confederate told how he was sent to pick off an
exposed Union sentry. As he aimed his gun at the sentry, he heard him
singing, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul."
The Confederate didn't care if the sentry was a Union enemy or not; he
just couldn't shoot, and lowered his gun. An old Union soldier stood up
and asked if that happened in the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. It had. The
old Union man said he was that sentry. He told how he had been depressed
and fearful when assigned to the isolated sentry post and had begun to
sing the hymn to keep his courage up, little realizing how it had saved
his life.
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How did Charles Wesley come to write this hymn? One story is that Charles
was returning to England in the fall of 1736 after serving as Governor
Oglethorpe's secretary in the new colony of Georgia. A frightening storm
arose at sea, and it seemed that the ship would go down with all on board.
A frightened bird flew into Wesley's window during the storm and sought
safety and protection in the folds of Wesley's coat! Another account says
that the hymn was written when an angry mob drove Charles and John from
the place they were preaching. Charles was beaten and composed the hymn
while hiding under a hedge.
Charles' brother John did not like "Jesus Lover of My Soul"
when he first read it; he thought it was too sentimental! The hymn didn't
really become popular until after Charles Wesley's death.
DISTANT DATELINE: Emperor Julian Slain in Battle
in Persia; Efforts to Restore Paganism Now Jeopardized
Word has just been received that Emperor Julian was slain by a spear thrust into his abdomen
in battle against the Persians. He was only 32-years-old and had reigned
for only two years.
As he lay dying he reportedly exclaimed: "You have conquered, O
Galilean," apparently a reference to Jesus Christ, founder of the
Christian movement. Julian had valiantly attempted to overcome the influence
and power of the Christians in the Roman Empire--a force that has been
steadily increasing since Constantine embraced that offshoot of Judaism
some 50 years ago.
With strong support from the more educated classes, Julian determined
to restore our traditional pagan religions to supremacy. He ordered destroyed
temples rebuilt and new temples constructed, and he encouraged the development
of a qualified pagan priesthood. He saw to it Christians were removed
from teaching positions where they did not believe and accept the writings
of our historic authors. In an apparent move against the Christians he
also ordered the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, a project
that has been mysteriously defeated by the outbreak of repeated fires
at the site.
Court observers were fascinated by Julian's zeal against the Christians
because he had been brought up as a Christian, was baptized, and even
ordained a lector in the church. But as he matured he apparently discovered
that his predecessor to the throne, the supposed "Christian"
Constantius (the son of Constantine) had killed off all of Julian's family
for political reasons. Julian alone escaped. He was a child at the time
and was saved by Christian clergy.
Julian studied several pagan religions and considered them a living and
vital force and the true religious heritage of the empire. But taking
a page from his Christian past he urged the pagans to show more care and
compassion for the poor and needy, noting that the Christians cared not
only for their own poor but for the pagans as well.
With his untimely death, the Christians are already clucking that God
has exercised judgment upon the one they called "Julian the Apostate."
Meanwhile pagans of many religions grieve over the loss of what was seen
as our golden moment to regain lost ground. |
