And Can It Be

My Reflection

“And Can It Be” has long been one of my favourites because of the marriage of powerful lyrics and magnificent music. Its governing idea is amazing love—not love as sentiment alone, but the astonishing grace that reaches someone who could never claim to have earned it.

I remember the hymn as the theme song for “Church Calling,” a Methodist Church programme hosted by the well-known and much-loved broadcaster Mr. Ron Robinson. Although I was not a member of that denomination, I looked forward to the programme and to the friendly voice and personality of its host. The hymn itself became part of that anticipation.

The song's questions have a way of becoming personal. The wonder is not only that divine love exists but that it should reach me. Its musical grandeur gives room for amazement, while the words move from bewilderment toward freedom and praise. The result is both intellectually arresting and emotionally expansive.

My association with the programme is also a reminder that the music of faith does not respect every boundary that people draw around worship. A hymn encountered through another Christian tradition can become part of one's own inheritance. I received this one with gratitude, and its theme has only grown in meaning: amazing love, offered without calculation.

What I Carry

Amazing love can reach us across traditions, through music, memory and unexpected fellowship.