"Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life." (v. 68, TEV)

Most of you are acquainted with that beautiful body of American musical literature called Spirituals, Christian songs created by African Americans. Who among us doesn’t like to sing the old spiritual at Christmas, "Go, tell it on the mountain"? Or how about another one that we used to sing at summer church camp, "We are climbing Jacob’s ladder"?

Today I’d like to share with you the words of my favorite American spiritual, "Give me Jesus!" It goes like this:

I heard my mother say, Give me Jesus
You can have all the rest, Give me Jesus
Dark midnight was my cry, Give me Jesus
You can have all the rest, Give me Jesus
Oh, when I come to die, Give me Jesus
You can have all the rest, Give me Jesus*

* Author’s…