My Song is Love Unknown
Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be
My song is love unknown, my Savior's love to me,
Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I that for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?
He came from his blest throne salvation to bestow,
But such disdain! So few the longed-for Christ would know!
But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!
Sometimes they strew his way and his sweet praises sing,
Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King.
Then "Crucify!" is all their breath,
And for his death
They thirst and cry.
Why? What has my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run; he gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And 'gainst him rise.
They rise and needs will have my dear Lord made away.
A murderer the save; the Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful he to suff'ring goes
That he his foes
From death might free.
In life no house, no home my Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb but what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav'n was his home
But mine the tomb
Wherein he lay.
PRAYER: Might I have called out with the crowd, "Crucify him!" dear Savior?
Might I have misunderstood and missed your Messianic presence and purpose,
too? Might I have fallen asleep, O faithful Friend, when you had asked me
to watch, and fled when you had asked me to wait? Do I still today? O,
forgive me, Savior of sinners and Shepherd of wandering souls. Strengthen
me. Stay near me. Amen.
"My Song is Love Unknown," by Samuel Crossman, hymn 110 in "Christian
Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal." Public domain.