About this episode
The episode discusses the life of John Newton and the inspiration behind the hymn 'Amazing Grace'.
Day 77 Today’s Reading: John 9 "Amazing Grace” is considered to be one of the greatest hymns of all time, sung by Christians and non-Christians alike. It transcends religious boundaries. The hymn’s popularity would have surprised its composer, John Newton. The circumstances that inspired him to write the hymn more than two hundred years ago were amazing. Newton was just a boy when he set sail as a sailor on his father’s ship. As he grew older, his life became one filled with debauchery. His duties on the ship included capturing West Africans and taking them to the West Indies to be sold as slaves. Slavery’s unspeakable horrors did not seem to bother Newton and he soon worked his way to becoming the captain of his own slave ship. But in 1748, after many years transferring slaves, while voyaging from Africa to England, God’s grace intervened. An awful storm arose, so furious that the waves threatened to capsize the ship. Unable to control the situation, Newton went to his cabin and searched for a book to take his mind off his fear. He picked up Thomas à Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ, a classic Christian devotional. Though the ocean and the storm eventually calmed, the experience…
People in this episode
Host: The 260 Journey
Topics covered
- grace
- redemption
- Christianity
- hymns
- slavery
- personal transformation
Keywords
- Amazing Grace
- John Newton
- Christian hymns
- slavery
- redemption
- grace
- spiritual transformation
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Amazing Grace, The Imitation of Christ
Places: West Indies, Africa, England
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