Every year, there is a song that resonates with me throughout the Lenten season. The song is Were You There? It is an American spiritual that was first published in 1899 with William Eleazar Barton’s Old Plantation Hymns. Some years later in 1940, it was included in the Episcopal Church hymnal, making it the first American spiritual to be included in any major American hymnal.
The text of this emotional hymn is quite simple, yet powerful. Each stanza asks a different repeating question beginning with “Were you there when…” For example, the first line of the hymn reads, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” After the initial question is repeated twice, every verse contains the line, “O sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.” Then the question of the corresponding stanza is sung once more to end the verse.
When reflecting upon the lyrics of this hymn and our sermon series for Lent, “The Room Where It Happened,” I try to put myself into one of the disciples’ shoes. I imagine as if I were there in the room where it happened, and I debate how I would react if Jesus got down on His knees and began washing my feet. I contemplate how I would feel if Jesus told us that one of us would betray Him. I wonder what emotions would fill my soul if Jesus told us that we were eating our last meal with Him before He died. It says in Luke 22: 15-16, And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” I cannot even begin to fathom what would go through my mind if I heard these words come out of the Son of God’s mouth.
Lucky for us, we already know how the story ends. Jesus was crucified only to rise again on the third day, conquering death itself and forever saving us from our sins. Now I don’t hear Jesus saying, “This is our last supper together.” I hear Him saying, “Be not afraid.” There is no need to tremble in fear anymore because Jesus defeated fear on the cross. He already paid the cost of freedom from our sins, so what is there to worry about? There has been so much negativity and darkness throughout this past year, but the truth is that God has been there through it all (even though it might not seem like it). So, I just want to encourage all of you to live fearlessly today, because Jesus is alive, and He is with you!
JD Tatarian, Ministry Intern
