During these days of so much turbulence in the United States and around the world, we have been shaken by the news of lives lost in recent killings. The tragic deaths of people such as Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska, and even months ago, Melissa Hortman, remind us of how fragile life can be and how violence touches us all in different ways. Along with the continuing conflicts and wars that seem without end, and the weight of our own personal struggles, all of this has made me remember with deep fervor the story behind the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.”
Horatio Spafford, the man who wrote it, faced heartbreak that is hard to even imagine. He lost his business in the Great Chicago Fire. Soon after, his young son died of illness. Later, his wife and daughters traveled to Europe, and during their journey tragedy struck. Their ship sank, and only his wife survived. While Spafford was crossing the same waters where his daughters had died, he wrote the words of the hymn: “It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
I often ask myself how anyone could write those words after such loss. Yet, I tend to think that this hymn is not perhaps about denying grief. What if it is about confessing that God’s peace is greater than the storms that surround us?
On this day, September 11, we remember another tragedy that shaped our lives and this nation.
We also grieve the violence that continues to wound our communities, and we cannot ignore the pain caused by war in so many places. At the same time, each of us carries our own personal trials, the hidden battles of everyday life.
And still, like Spafford, we can find the courage to say: “It is well with my soul.” Not because things are easy, not because the pain disappears, but because we trust that our lives are held by God.
That trust does not make us passive. It strengthens us to keep praying, to keep hoping, and to act with courage so that peace and justice may take root in this world. God’s presence allows us to walk forward with faith, even when the way feels heavy.
So today, as we remember, as we mourn, and as we long for peace, may we also hold fast to this truth: with God, even in the darkest valleys, it can still be well with our souls.
Warmly,
Rev. David A Gaitan
