Does Jesus Care? -- Frank E. Graeff

This 41-year old hymnist had an apparently hidden gloom, which he did not easily address. Perhaps the persona he projected to others helped him manage the dark feelings with which he couldn’t cope. Frank Ellsworth Graeff must have asked himself many times “Does Jesus Care?” by the time he actually penned the words to this song just after the turn of the 20^th Century. He found great strength in the words of Peter (pictured here),

and that’s why he could proclaim ‘Oh yes…!’ to answer his own question. Maybe he believed others struggled as he did, coaxing himself to go public with his emotions and his path to the tonic he discovered.

Frank Ellsworth Graeff’s “brotherly love” attitude he adopted in his hometown of Philadelphia and his nickname as “The Sunshine Minister” conveyed one impression of this minister that belied the despair that had built as he approached mid-life. Graeff was reportedly a favorite especially among children because of his usually bright disposition. And yet, there were tragedies, not unlike those that dim any person’s outlook. His family suffered many deaths through the latter part of the 19^th Century (according to one great fellow blogger, see link below), including a young sister’s demise in the same year that Graeff wrote “Does Jesus Care”, a testimony to the song’s final verse in which he describes bidding ‘goodbye’ to someone close. Other sources indicate he also met many physical struggles, though what these were exactly remains undefined. These mounting episodes apparently tormented him, perhaps repeatedly, and the multiple verses suggest he never completely conquered these lingering bouts of depression.

What hauls a hurting soul from the depths? Graeff’s turn, unsurprisingly for a minister, to scripture is a lesson in reality for others like himself. Don’t just try to convince others you’re OK, giving them a smile and an upbeat word. Be real, for that’s the way to find the true remedy. Peter’s an interesting example of this kind of circumstance. Who else could say as the apostle so aptly does, to lean on Jesus with my anxieties (1 Peter 5:7)? Here was a guy who wouldn’t stick by his closest friend when confronted by accusers. He ran from his anxious moments. But, that didn’t rule the rest of his life. Peter and Frank could both announce with certainty ‘Yes, He cares!’ with  renewed vigor, ironically because of the death of the God they trusted. Sounds kinda foolish at first, doesn’t it? See how you feel, knowing that He once hurt like you do. And, now He’s waiting for you on the other side of that hurt. Still think it’s foolish?

       

Information on the song was also obtained from the books  Amazing Grace – 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, 1990, Kregel Publications; 101 More Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1985; The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs, by William J. and Ardythe Petersen, 2006, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; and Then Sings My Soul – 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Robert J. Morgan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003.

An especially good account of Graeff’s life is here by another hymn story enthusiast: http://drhamrick.blogspot.com/2013/06/does-jesus-care.html