What Does the Hymn 'Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling' Teach Us Today?
- Laura Lee Leathers Salem Web Network Contributor
- Updated Jul 08, 2024
Is the word “calling” a noun or a verb? It is a noun with two meanings. The first definition means to shout or yell loudly. However, as the hymn “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” reminds us, it can also mean an urge toward a career, vocation, or new way of life.
So what does this popular hymn tell us about calling? Who wrote it, and why does it remain so powerful today?
Let’s look further into the life of the lyricist and composer of this well-known hymn.
Who Wrote “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”?
Will Lamartine Thompson, also called “the Bard of Ohio,” was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, on November 7, 1847. He was the sixth of seven children born to Josiah and Sarah Thompson. His mother was known for her charitable works. Josiah was a businessman who served two terms in the Ohio state legislature.
From an early age, his musical gifting and talent were evident. He studied music at Mount Union College before spending three years at the New England Conservatory of Music and then traveled to Leipzig, Germany, for further studies.
Thompson started his career composing songs incorporating secular and patriotic themes. While he tried to sell his works to music publishers, he was offered little pay for his compositions. Not content with the pennies he was offered, he chose to self-publish. He wrote songs like “My Home in the Old Ohio” and “Gathering Shells from the Sea Shore.”
“Gathering Up the Shells from the Sea Shore” became a particularly popular song. During the 1850s, it was second only to Stephen Foster’s “Old Folks at Home,” more commonly known as “Swanee River.” In 1934, it was used in the movie The Old Fashioned Way, where actress Jan Duggan sings it.
While his songs made him a millionaire, Thompson apparently was not happy. He returned to East Liverpool and prayed about what to do next. He dedicated himself to writing only Christian songs and started his own publishing company, Will L. Thompson & Co. He succeeded in the new venture: he sold about two million copies of his quartet numbers. Over time, he expanded the business to sell pianos, organs, and sheet music. His work grew enough that he had offices in East Liverpool and Chicago.
Will Thompson was known not only as a successful composer but also as a generous one. After deciding that rural people should have access to his music, he began touring. He placed an upright piano into a two-horse wagon and played in small churches throughout the county.
Towards the end of 1899, Will Thompson visited Northfield, Massachusetts, with his dear friend, D. L. Moody. Thompson was one of the few visitors who was allowed to visit Moody because he was near death. “Will,” Moody said, “I would rather have written “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling,” than anything I have been able to do in my whole life.”
While touring Europe, Thompson took ill. He and his family returned to the United States, where he died a few weeks later, September 20, 1909, in New York City. He is buried in the Riverview Cemetery in East Liverpool, Ohio.
Nearly two centuries since Thompson was born, his legacy continues through his music and charitable efforts. In 1899, he donated land to become Thompson Park in East Liverpool, Ohio, with the stipulation that no alcohol or gambling would be allowed on the premises. The land continues to be a popular venue for local events like the Old Fashioned Picnic Day, which has been going on since the park was opened. You can visit the Facebook page and watch the Thompson Troubadours choir singing some of Thompson’s hymns.
What are the Lyrics to “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”?
The lyrics to this famous hymn are as follows:
1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.Refrain:
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? [Refrain]3 Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and from me;
shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me. [Refrain]4 O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me. [Refrain]
While we don’t know the exact day that Thompson wrote the song, we do know some details about his writing routine. According to the Ohio Archaeological Historical Quarterly, someone asked him how he remembered words and melodies that came to him at unusual times. Thompson answered that he carried a notebook with him: “No matter where I am, at home or hotel, at the store or traveling, if an idea or theme comes to me that I deem worthy of a song, I jot it down in verse.”
Singers like Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Anne Murray, and Reba McEntire are only a few artists who have recorded this song. Take a moment and listen to the Martins perform this hymn acappella. You may also enjoy this version by Kristyn Getty, Vince Gill, Ellie Holcomb, and Sierra Hull.
Does “Softly and tenderly Jesus Is Calling” Quote Any Bible verses?
Sometimes, hymnbooks will reference a Scripture verse after the hymn’s title, which may have inspired the hymn or communicated a similar theme.
Many hymnbooks pair Mark 10:49 with “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling.” The King James Bible that Thompson would have been familiar with reads: “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.”
While it’s not clear how much Thompson deliberately sculpted his lyrics to fit Bible verses, several Bible verses use similar wording or express similar ideas.
Consider these verses as you read each stanza:
- Stanza 1: Matthew 9:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Revelation 3:20
- Stanza 2: Hebrews 3:15; Matthew 11:28-30; Titus 3:5
- Stanza 3: Psalm 90:9-10; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 9:27
- Stanza 4: John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; Isaiah 55:6-7
What Does it Mean to Answer the Call?
Scripture uses the word “call” in various ways. For example, in Genesis 4:26, the word is used with the first mention of prayer, “people began to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology notes that calling on God's name is an act of worship. Then, there is another call that God makes to us. For example, God called Abraham to leave his country because Abraham would be the father of the nation of Israel. God’s calling relates to how He works and fulfills His plans through individuals.
In the New Testament, to answer the call means to come to faith in Christ (John 14:6; John 3:16). An individual is called out of darkness (sin) into His marvelous light (see 1 Peter 2:9). Then through discipleship, a Believer learns there is a “calling” to live a life of godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and holiness (1 Peter 1:15-17).
When we become followers of Christ, we learn about another kind of calling. We have spiritual gifts to use for God’s glory in our homes, the church, and the marketplace. We may have a calling into a ministry, like missionary work or evangelism.
Sometimes, God calls individuals into something more specific. For example, some missionaries receive a calling to serve in a particular area. Others have a calling to start a specific ministry or mission organization.
How do we know our calling? Since God places it in your hearts, we must listen for what he places there. What does he give us a passion for? Then we look for whether he confirms it—through His Word, people, and circumstances. From there, he will equip and empower us to fulfill that calling.
What Can We Learn from ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” Today?
The concept of being called from an old life to a new one appears throughout the four gospels.
Perhaps one of the best examples is in Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, wanted to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho. However, because of Zacchaeus’s short stature, he climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.
Jesus walked by the tree, looked up, and called out to Zacchaeus. Jesus told him to come down immediately, for He was going to Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus obeyed. Because of his encounter with Jesus, he willingly declared he would give half of his possessions to people experiencing poverty and that those he had cheated on would be paid back four times the amount.
His outward actions showed a great inward change that we can learn from today. “Jesus is calling, O sinner, come home,” and Zacchaeus did. Jesus is calling every individual to repent, trust, and follow Him. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Is it any wonder that D. L. Moody and Ira D. Sanky used this hymn extensively in their evangelistic meetings throughout Great Britain and the United States? The lyrics point the way to Christ.
Take a moment to reread the lyrics. What words or phrases stand out to you?
Dear reader, softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling. Have you answered His call?
Photo Credit:©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Boonyachoat
Laura Lee Leathers is a writer and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over sixty-five, and living on a farm. Her metropolis is the area of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitalit-tea, encourages, and helps others with the ‘how-to’s’ of life. To sign up for her newsletter, connect with her at http://lauraleeleathers.com - - - “Helping You Flourish in Faith & Finish Well by His Word”
