Were You There? -- Anonymous

Was this author in touch with suffering, perhaps seeking to know it more intimately? Maybe he wanted to draw closer to the suffering of the One from whom he could draw strength and consolation, and asks “Were You There?” to see if others had experienced this connection. After all, if He – the God of the universe – could die in a most cruel way, and yet still be Almighty God, is that something I dare not ignore? What other event in anyone’s life would be more momentous than death? It’s something no mortal has yet been able to avoid, except for a choice few who bypassed it (Enoch [Genesis 5:24] and Elijah [2 Kings 2:11]) because of God’s intervention. It’s said that some people’s bodies have shaken when life ends – the throes of death. Is that because life is so opposite from death, that a transition from one to another cannot happen peacefully? The body revolts at this transition, and yet there was One who gave Himself up to the grave. That’s a shuddering thought, too.  

African-American spiritual songs originated during the era of America’s slave culture, perhaps the heart of which was the Deep South of the early-to-mid 1800s. “Were You There?” is thought to have emerged from that musical tradition, not with an ascribed author, but from an ethos that urged members of the community to experience God’s presence deeply. Perhaps that’s why when someone mentions he’s had a “spiritual” experience, we generally understand something deeply felt and personal has transpired for him. The author of “Were You There?” evidently was recommending that others dwell on what Jesus felt as He was swallowed up in death’s pit. It must have appeared to those watching at the time that He was going into a certain abyss. Jesus’ own reaction in a garden shortly before this event indicates His own dread of the upcoming event. And so, the song’s author wants me to suspend my knowledge of Sunday. Walk in the shoes of those companions of Jesus on Friday and Saturday first. He wasn’t just the friend of the Apostles; they were convinced He was God. And, then He’s dead. Losing a close companion is enough to shake up a person, but what about losing God? ‘Tremble’ might just be the weakest way to describe how they felt. The world of the Apostles was rocking – splitting or disintegrating might be more accurate. And, He didn’t merely keel over one day from a heart attack. Flogged, crucified, ridiculed, and, pierced, and that’s only some of what He bore. Let those dark thoughts cloak your being for a moment – that’s the author’s intent. Let the scene’s horror surround you. Then, wake up on Sunday to the brilliant sunshine of a new reality, one that flips all the three previous days’ events upside down.

Still trembling? Try leaping and cartwheeling all at the same time, even if one has been in a wheelchair a moment beforehand. That’s how you transition from death to life with the Jesus calculus. But, it’s only possible to experience this radical shift if one goes to the very bottom first. The mountain’s peak is only really impressive because the foot is so low. Put yourself in the place of those who actually watched Him descend, not believing an ascent was around the corner. They trembled, since they hadn’t accepted that Sunday was coming. But hey, Jesus knew, and He still trembled, right? That gives me pause, to know that He knew, and still was afraid. But then, He rose, with some earth tremors to accompany that part too. Are you ready for your own tremblings?       

     

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; and Amazing Grace – 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions, by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990.

Also see this link, showing all the song’s words: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/w/e/r/wereyout.htm

Also see more background on the song here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Were_You_There

See background to this type of music here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_(music)