Was blind, but now I see

He was a young man. His father was a ship master, so at age 11 he joined his father at sea. He signed on a merchant ship bound for the Mediterranean, was captured and pressed into the Royal Navy, deserted, was recaptured and severely punished, became involved in slave trading, was made a slave himself, and was finally rescued.

It is quite a story. It sounds like the makings of a great screenplay. But, the story doesn't end there. While on his return to England, his "savior ship" was caught up in a great storm. As cold seawater filled the ship, the young man called out to God. The ship did not sink. As they traveled on to England, the young man read the Bible, as well as all the other religious literature he could get his hands on. He celebrated that March day in 1748 when he had reached out to God - the beginning of his conversion - for the rest of his life.

He continued in the slave trade for many years (although he preached against it in later years), but it is said that from that March day forward, he never drank, gambled, or used profanity. No doubt, he stood out amongst his sea-going, slave-trading colleagues.

Eventually, John Newton became a clergyman and a prolific hymn writer. Many of us have grown up singing his great hymns. Arguably, one of the best of these is Amazing Grace. It has certainly held up to the test of time. Two hundred years after it was penned, the song is a fixture in spiritual and secular culture. It has been played at many gatherings that are etched in our memories: memorial services following the Oklahoma City bombing, September 11, and the Virginia Tech attacks. We have probably buried loved ones, with that hymn as a backdrop. It somehow resonates with us, like none other.

The lyrics are monosyllabic. The melody is easy to sing. A director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has called it the “perfect marriage of text and tune.” It has been recorded more than 6,600 times, according to www.all-music.com. That puts Elvis and the Beatles to shame. Does anyone believe their songs will have the staying power to be remembered, sung, and recorded in 200 years?

Why has it had this “sticking” power? Because, we understand the words. We could have written them. Like John Newton, we are weak selfish sinners caught in a terrible storm. The icy waters are rising. We need to be saved. And, God is our only hope. That is why we can sing - from memory,

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see

Amen.