Where He Leads Me I Will Follow -- Ernest W. Blandy

Just look at these pictures (shown here, in 1890 and 1915, respectively) of this slum, and see if you think the poet-composer should have reconsidered where he was about to go. Just the name of the place -- Hell’s Kitchen -- might have given Ernest W. Blandy serious pause, yet he must have really thought that “Where He Leads Me I Will Follow” to himself as he prepared for this change.  One of his contemporary hymn writers (Fanny Crosby) had likewise made the same choice to live in a NYC slum, so Ernest may have felt he should expect nothing less of himself. Did Mr. Blandy have some affinity for the Irish immigrants that lived in this poverty-stricken, crime-ridden area? We can only speculate, but we know that Ernest didn’t try to outthink what he was doing. He just followed.

Little is known of Ernest W. Blandy, except that he evidently had a strong faith and worked that out in a ministry in this aforementioned slum.  He was reportedly an officer in the Salvation Army, so he must have been accustomed to spending a lot of time with poor folks in rough circumstances. Given the choice of an assignment at a decent church (unknown location) and Hell’s Kitchen, he chose the latter in 1890. He apparently felt, according to the words of “Where He Leads Me…”, that the Lord was directing him there. Had family, friends, or other acquaintances asked him to explain this apparently radical choice, which would expose him to probably daily hazards? After all, this rough neighborhood had earned its name; a mission house was there, and though Ernest may have indeed been familiar with it because of his role as a Salvation Army member, it was also associated with a murder some 15 years later (see 2^nd of the two pictures above). Hell’s Kitchen was overcrowded and inhabited by crime gangs, so lawbreaking was a way of life for many of its residents. Step on others, or be stepped on yourself. Ernest’s musical response to these issues was not terribly involved – just a few words were all he used. Ernest heard and followed (v. 1), including through anticipated life-threatening circumstances that were perhaps only somewhat less hair-raising than Jesus’ own footsteps through the garden and into unfair judgment (vv. 2 and 3). One can fathom that Ernest’s sense of duty compelled him to mimic Christ’s determination. Like Jesus when he did the dirty job of washing feet (John 13), maybe Ernest considered his own trial in Hell’s Kitchen would be acceptable because he knew he was headed for a glorious home, eternally (v.4). He reasoned he could go ‘all the way’ (refrain) while here on earth. We may not know much of Ernest Blandy, but his choice for Hell’s Kitchen and the rationale he shares in “Where He Leads Me …” perhaps say all we need to know.   

Ernest was glued to Jesus Christ, we could say, except for one bit of truth. Ernest had a choice. He could have gone to the established church and been relaxed, safe. Perhaps Jesus was more like the strong magnet for Ernest, with an attraction he just couldn’t ignore. Or, how about a persistent sound? A wind chime at my neighbor’s house has a deep, resonant bong when the wind blows, and my ears just cannot disregard the sound at night. Ears do not just shut off, with the flip of a switch. (My solution is to drown it out with something louder.) Ernie Blandy had ears, too, ones that could hear that divine bong. The Son has something you and I cannot discount. Is that what He meant when he said he would draw others to Himself (John 12:32)?     

See very brief information/biography on composer and all four verses of the song, see the following site: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/w/h/e/r/wherehlm.htm

See this site for general description of the area where the composer was headed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen,_Manhattan