Hymn of the Month -- O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

This hymn has been around for over 130 years. It was written by George Matheson who was born in 1842 in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Wikipedia, "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go was written on the evening of Matheson's sister's marriage. Years before, he had been engaged, until his fiancee learned that he was going blind -- that there was nothing the doctors could do -- and she told him that she could not go through life with a blind man. He went blind while studying for the ministry, and his sister had been the one to care for him through the years, but now she was gone. He was now 40, and his sister's marriage brought a fresh reminder of his own heartbreak. It was in the midst of this circumstance and intense sadness that the Lord gave Matheson this hymn, which he said was written in five minutes."

I grew up loving this hymn. The story of its writing makes it all the sweeter to me. But it became sweeter still when I heard this a cappella arrangement by Sam Robson. While I am focusing in 2014 on old hymns to new tunes in my Hymn of the Month posts, I want to share this old hymn with its old tune, sung by a young person. I love watching Sam sing, as if in each track he's taped he is fully aware, not only of the music, but of the meaning of the song as well.

The Lord bless you today as you listen to this amazing rendition of O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.