She might have used a telephone like the one shown
here (in this 1886 advertisement in the New York/New Jersey area), or at least
seen one used. The telephone was one of the new wonders of the Industrial Age,
this machine you could talk into and carry on conversations with people many
miles away. If Fanny Crosby was in touch with her world – and, she was – she would
have used various ways to make sure that a voice mail that related “Jesus Is
Tenderly Calling You Home” reached its intended recipients. Of course, she was very adept with the medium
of music; in fact, since one of her five senses (sight) was not available to
her, maybe the hearing upon which she relied so much was especially attuned
musically to calling out to people who needed to hear the message. Is it just a
coincidence that the Divine One also doesn’t want me relying on eyesight to
believe in Him, but does want me to hear Him?
Frances Jane Crosby (Aunt Fanny, as she was often
called) was one of the most well-known blind musical prodigies of her time, or
any other time. Having only four of her basic senses in play, Fanny did not let
that slow her down. Over, 8,000 hymns are attributed to her, and her work among
many rescue missions in the New York area is just as noteworthy. All this was
without the benefit of eyesight, including the mission works which were in
large part during her years as a senior citizen. In 1883 when she wrote about
Jesus’ call, Fanny was living in a Manhattan slum. While there, she reportedly
worked with various missions, perhaps because it gave her easy access to those
who most needed to hear the call of God. Any of the at least half-dozen missions
that she frequented at the time may have inspired what she passed along to the destitute
in “Jesus Is…Calling…”. These would be
the people who felt ‘weary’ or had a ‘burden’ (v. 2). Although she could not
see their faces, Fanny must have heard their voices often enough to recognize
the sense of rejection the poor in Manhattan experienced. Sure, they needed financial
help, but maybe more than that, they needed to feel like somebody cared. Who
better than a blind lady to let them know that God’s son was the ultimate source
of compassion. His hand never slapped down anyone who was already wallowing in
the gutter. ‘Tenderly calling’, that’s the phrase Fanny chose to communicate that
His arms are wide open.
Water Street, Bowery, Howard, Cremore…these were some
of the mission names familiar to Fanny, and by way of acquaintance, therefore, to
God in 1883. Fanny must have heard and spoken many times the words of Him who
talked about ‘the least of these’ (Matthew 25:40, 45). Does the message where I
frequent instead seem to bounce off those who hear? Maybe identifying the gaps
we all have that cannot be closed here is the strategy for sharing that would reach
the ears, and hearts, of those at the other end of the line. Fanny found a way
to reach them without one of her senses. She just kept forwarding the calls
from Him.
See more information on the song
story in these sources:
The Complete Book of Hymns –
Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen
and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006.
See this
site for all of the original verses: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/j/i/t/jitcyhom.htm
See a few
brief details of the composer’s life here: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/c/r/o/s/crosby_fj.htm
See this
site also for a brief biography of the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Crosby
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