This week in my series Then Sings My Soul: The Hymns of My Youth I’m adding another familiar hymn — at least, familiar to my youth. “Tell it to Jesus”, written by Edmund S. Lorenz and published in a German hymnal called Fröliche Botschafter in 1876. Lorenz came from an Adventist family that emigrated from Russia to America. Educated at Otterbein, Union Biblical Seminary, Yale, and the University of Leipzig, he was ordained and later opened a music publishing company in Dayton, Ohio called Lorenz and Company. The hymn was translated into English in 1880 by Jeremiah E. Rankin.
I don’t know what the occasion of the hymn’s composition was, but from reading the lyrics, it may presumably have been as an encouragement to those in “bouts of melancholy,” as depression would have been called in those days. The hymn may well be an encouragement to those in the midst of a mild discouragement, but to those in an actual depression I suspect the words will be cold comfort at best. The “answer” provided appears to be rather simplistic and based upon the assumption that simple prayers of confession will dispel ill feelings. Personally, I have my doubts.
On the other hand, I fully expect that this hymn has been and will continue to be an encouragement to those passing through times of brief discouragement and who can draw comfort and resolve from its reminder.
Tell it to Jesus
Are you weary, are you heavy hearted?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone.Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,
He is a Friend that’s well known.
You’ve no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden?
Tell it to Jesus alone.Refrain
Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow?
Tell it to Jesus alone.Refrain
Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
For Christ’s coming kingdom are you sighing?
Tell it to Jesus alone.Refrain
Interesting note for those coming out of a context of spiritual abuse — here in 1876 a “secret sin” seems deemed to be dealt with upon confession “to Jesus alone”, whereas in some churches people are encouraged to confess it to another person, to “bring it into the light” in order to have it dealt with “fully” or “properly.” In my experience, those churches had their ways of using it against you later. Note I’m not speaking here of the Catholic confessional, which has safeguards against abuse built into its system that the abusive evangelical systems I’m speaking about do not. Not that I’m in favour of that form of confession and absolution, but it at least has some safeguards against abuse.
I agree with you, my brother. This hymn is a simplistic view of confession and who cares. While I cannot totally dismiss what this hymnwriter was/is trying to communicate, I fear these lyrics will ultimately be unhelpful.
Basically it’s saying “Do you feel alone? Well you are. Tell it to Jesus, he’s the only one that cares.” As one who struggles with depression, and who feels alone often, I think I would be even more depressed if I heard these lyrics. Sometimes we physically need someone there to give us a hug, hold us, and listen. Jesus Christ is the ultimate answer, but in the here and now, we need physical, real, caring community.
Blessings to you.
You said it, John! (And well put.) I’m so glad that even if we still have a ways to go, we have such a better understanding of depression now than they had in the 1800’s!