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By Movieguide® Staff
Did you know the fascinating story behind “Jesus Loves Me?”
“A woman named Anna Bartlett Warner from Long Island, New York, in 1860, she wrote a [poem included in a book written by her sister Susan],” author and musician Sean Dietrich explained in a recent Instagram video. “And in this book, there was a young character…a little boy who was dying, and a character named Lyndon, who comes to this little boy and says a poem to him.”
Dietrich continued, “Well, this poem was later discovered in 1862 by William Bradbury who put a simple melody to these words. He used [it] as part of the Sunday School Movement of the 19th and 20th centuries that swept across not just the US but across the world…making this maybe one of the most well-loved songs globally, and I’m going to play it for you.”
He then played “Jesus Loves Me” on his acoustic guitar, singing the words we all know: “Jesus loves me, this I know // for the Bible tells me so // Little ones to Him belong // They are weak, but He is strong.”
Related: Phil Wickham and Crowder Breathe New Life Into This Timeless Hymn
In a post on the Praise Broadcasting Network website, the outlet shared that “Jesus Loves Me” became so popular among young soldiers that “both sisters were buried with military honors because of their contribution they made to the spiritual well being of the soldiers. They are the only civilians buried in the West Point Cemetery.”
Many leaders in the Christian community have shared their thoughts on the timeless message of the song. Carl Daw, Jr, an Episcopal priest, said “the assurance of Christ’s love is indeed appropriate for one of the first songs a child is likely to learn,” per the UMC Discipleship website.
“God has shown His love through Jesus Christ, a love that directs and shapes the lives of His people,” Lutheran minister Gregory Just Wismar said. “Jesus says, ‘As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you,’ and then He takes it one step further by directing, ‘Abide in My love’ (John 15:9). ‘Jesus loves me’ assures singers of all ages that the Bible tells us of Jesus’ love, the love that roots and grounds God’s people (Ephesians 3:17) and supports and sustains them in life and in death with childlike faith and abiding hope (Herl, et al, 2019, p. 661)”
“Jesus Loves Me” is one of the first songs many children learn, continuing to share the message of the Warner sisters, as well as Bradbury’s timeless melody.
Read Next: Chris Tomlin Sings World’s Oldest Hymn — It Doesn’t Sound Like You’d Think
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