VIEWPOINT

Horatio Gates Spafford was an attorney and a businessman who lost a great deal of property in the Great Chicago Fire. Nevertheless, he un-selfishly helped others who were homeless and impoverished because of the fire.  Because of his generosity and service he was well known throughout Chicago as a sincere and devout individual.

About two years later, in November 1873, Spafford and his family decided to travel to Europe. Spafford was a good friend of D. L. Moody, and his family decided to meet Moody on one of his evangelistic campaigns in England.  However, just before they were to leave Horatio was unex-pectedly detained by urgent business concerns in Chicago. His wife Anna and their four daughters went ahead with the plans and Horatio was to catch up with them as soon as possible. 

The French liner, S.S. Ville du Havre, was the most luxurious ship afloat when it sailed from New York.  Tragedy, however, was to strike on that trip.  At two o’clock on the morning of November 22, 1873, the luxury liner collided with an English iron sailing vessel.  In two hours the ship had settled to the bottom of the ocean, with a loss of some two hundred twenty-six   lives, including the four Spafford children.  Nine days later when the 47 survivors landed at Cardiff, Wales. Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband the heartbreaking message that simply read two words, “Saved alone.”

As soon as he could, the grieving father booked passage on a ship to Europe to join his wife.  On the way over, in December of that same year, the Captain called him into his cabin and said, “I believe we are now passing over the place where the Ville du Havre went down.”

That night in the mid-Atlantic, out of his heart-break and pain, Mr. Spafford wrote the unforgettable words that have become very familiar in our language of worship:

                     When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

                     When sorrows like sea billows roll;

                     Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

                     It is well, it is well, with my soul.

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I am thankful to Dick and Nancy Northcutt for giving me the information about the H. G. Spafford story.  It’s a comfort to anyone struggling with grief and obstacles. 

I received positive feedback on the presentation by Howard Wright last week.  The “Hard Look” above came from his newsletter at the Greenbriar church. 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word!                                                                                   RA