Meditations: A Divine Contrast

It's been interesting reading a biography along with a study of the life of Christ (see reading list below). Fanny Crosby, the blind author of Blessed Assurance and over 3,000 other hymns, was remarkable in many ways. Her steady faith in God, begun in childhood and renewed as an adult, and her cheerful acceptance of the difficulties of her life make her a role model in many respects. She worried her friends with her generosity, giving freely both of her money and her poetic talents. She had a passion for helping anyone in need and right up into old age when her writing days were over, she continued to be active, wherever she could give a hand.

Fanny Crosby also had some glaring flaws which mar the beauty of her life. As in any other honest biography, there are mistakes, controversies, wrong decisions or sins that make the reader cringe in reluctant sympathy with the faults we all share as humans.



What a glorious contrast to study the life of Christ! Jesus never asked for forgiveness, (something which would be a weakness in any other man) because he never wronged anyone. He had no need to retract or revise anything he said. There is no taint of self in anything he did (how different from me!). He shows perfect justice balanced with mercy, and mercy without weakness. The only sections of his life and words which make me cringe are those which expose my own sinfulness! The people who were closest to him, who watched him night and day, recorded his sinless perfection. Even his enemies couldn't dig up anything to accuse him of or use against him! The closer I look at his life and death, the more I love him and admire his beauty.

May we, "who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory" be transformed into his image!