What a Friend We Have in Jesus

The way Jesus befriends us is nicely reflected in one of the world's most popular hymns, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Out of Christendom's some 400,000 hymns, it is considered to be one of the top ten. This incredible popularity comes for a hymn that was never intended to be published. Joseph Scriven wrote the hymn in 1855 to send from his home in Ontario, Canada, to his mother in Ireland. His goal was simply to comfort his mother during a difficult time in her life. It wasn't until 30 years later that the hymn was discovered by a friend who was caring for Scriven in his final illness. Once put in circulation, the hymn quickly became a favorite.