“My name is
written on his hands.”
Hymn: “Arise, My
Soul, Arise” – Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Common Tune: LENOX
As the closing
line of the first stanza, this brief statement is the one that stands out and
stays with us as we sing this hymn or read its text.
Stuart Townend in
his recent hymn text “The Power of the Cross” puts it this way: “O to see my name written in his wounds.”
Both Townend and Wesley are drawing our attention away from ourselves and into
the nail-scarred hands of the One who makes his way toward Jerusalem… toward
Calvary.
Those of us whose
faith experience includes personal piety will resonate with these two
expressions which include the pronoun “my,” making the cross not just a
universal event for all who will believe – but one in which I share stock… for
which I share responsibility.
At the same time,
we share the glory of the cross because indeed our name is written on his pierced
hands and feet, his thorn-imbedded brow, his sutured side… all his
self-accepted wounds.
Our being able to
rejoice in such a horrible event is one of the mysteries of the faith… of
Christian thought. That’s why when we come past either of these hymnlines in
worship, we are taken aback by the image of a dying, cross-bound Savior; at the
same time, we are lifted in gratefulness for the sacrifice of the Redeemer on
OUR behalf.
Carry this image.
Keep it before your spiritual eyes. The next time you see an art-work of Christ
on the cross, recall today’s hymnline… and look closely at his hands to find
your name written there.
Twyla Paris’
Contemporary Setting of This Text
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