The story behind: "Abide with me" hymn
In the lavish opening ceremonies of the London Olympic Games of 2012, things quieted down a bit, and a Scottish singer delivered a soulful rendition of an old Christian hymn, “Abide with Me.” Out of place? Not exactly, since the hymn is also sung each year at the championship of Britain’s Football Association.
Why a hymn? It probably goes back to King George V, who loved this song and might have suggested it at the original FA Cup game in 1927. This British tradition probably lies behind a curious Indian custom as well.
Every January, as the nation of India celebrates its Republic Day, “Abide with Me” is sung. It was reportedly a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi. So it’s no surprise that as the British ocean liner Titanic went down, this reportedly was one of the hymns the band played.
The words were penned by Henry Francis Lyte, a Scottish minister who served a little fishing village in Devonshire, England, for many years. As he began his pastoral ministry, early in the 1800s, he had already faced numerous challenges. His father had abandoned the family, and his mother had died at an early age. From age nine, young Henry was raised as an orphan. Fortunately, his schoolmaster took an interest in him and encouraged his poetic talent. One heartwrenching poem from his youth begins, “Stay, gentle shadow of my mother, stay! Thy form but seldom comes to bless my sleep.”
As a young man, Lyte found encouragement from Rev. Abraham Swanne, who deeply influenced his spiritual life and eventual career. But Swanne became ill and died—another loved one lost. You can already sense how Henry might have longed for someone to stay in his life, to abide with him.
In his fifties, after decades of pastoring, Lyte was diagnosed with tuberculosis. It was essential for him to get out of the cold, damp English air, so he made plans to move to Italy. He gave a farewell address at his church in September 1847, on the story of Jesus’ postresurrection walk to Emmaus, where two disciples begged him, “Abide with us” (see Luke 24:29, kjv). That afternoon Lyte walked on the beach and then went to his room to write down eight verses of this hymn. A short time later, on the way to Italy, he passed away. His last words, as he pointed toward heaven, were, “Peace! Joy!”
This hymn text was sung, with music Lyte had written for it, at his funeral. Only later did William H. Monk attach the now beloved tune “Eventide".
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