The Healing Impact of Hymns

Hymns can be such healing things because God can speak to us through them.  I want to thank our reader for choosing the hymns he did tonight, especially the last two (596 and 350). They are two of my very favorites.   This has certainly been true for me.  Sometimes the music brings the words; sometimes the words bring the music.  They are entwined together.

In your readings tonight you told the story of how David played the harp for Saul when he was feeling unwell.  And the music healed him.  We know, of course, that it was not just the playing of the harp that had the healing effect, but it was the Love of God that David expressed when playing that harp.

One incident comes to mind tonight when a hymn healed not only me, but also my family.  It was a time when our family was in great turmoil.  My son was in Louisiana to pick up his older girls from their mother.  He was so anxious that there would be violence that he asked policemen friends to hang close by the pickup location.  I, in turn, was fearful.  I called a Christian Science practitioner and explained our concerns.  He said, referring to violence and the whole scenario of discord, “That would be impossible in the atmosphere of Love.”  His simple statement broke the hypnotic panic I was entertaining.  The rest of the words to this beloved Hymn 144 played in my mind and became my prayer.  “In atmosphere of Love divine, We live, and move, and breathe;  Though mortal eyes may see it not, ‘Tis sense that would deceive.”  It became clearer to me that a mental picture of hatred and fear were just that, mental pictures.  And that these pictures were not to be taken as the truth because the infinite atmosphere of Love is fact.  It turned out in the end that there was a nonviolent transfer of the children.

So, thank you for the hymns tonight.  Hymn 596 (“When Peace, Like a River”) otherwise known as “It is Well with my Soul” and Hymn 350 “All, all is Well” that we will be singing soon are healing.  They remind us that all is well – it is ALWAYS well.

Laura BonneCarrere

Sevierville, TN