So you've had a good day.
You unexpectedly heard your favorite song while you were driving to a long work shift, and it brightened your day.
Someone gave you a card with some words of encouragement - you're not really sure how they knew - and you feel loved.
You got a call saying you had the day off of work or school.
Someone you like paid attention to you - a Facebook like, a spontaneous conversation, offering to help you out.
You were honored for an accomplishment - excelling at school or work, completing a big project, or simply being appreciated.
You aced that paper you worried about.
Something special you've waited for just came in the mail, and it's better than you thought.
You nailed that performance. Everything was flawless.
Someone told you that you looked beautiful.
So, you've had a bad day.
Someone you love ignored you, and you don't know why, but it has you deeply worried.
You know a teacher is frustrated with you about an assignment, but yet, it's taking forever to finish and you can't explain.
Nothing in particular has gone wrong, but still, nothing really special has happened today, and it's making you feel down.
You heard someone say something about you behind your back.
You opened up a lot to someone - even though it was hard - and they broke their promise of confidence.
You embarrassed yourself in front of a crowd - in person, or online.
You fought with someone.
You broke up with someone, or they broke up with you (big difference, but equally painful).
You were misunderstood.
You feel lonely. You know you can reach out to people, but the point is that you wish someone would remember you instead.
You're sick, but you can't take the time to rest, you have to keep at your vocation with what energy you can muster.
Someone close to you has died, and even though you know he or she loved the Lord, their absence has left a hole in your life.
I've been there - and in either situation, there has been an appropriately comforting Paul Gerhardt hymn. Sometimes the same one, on both ends of the spectrum.
Why? Why is that? How can a hymn fit itself to any occasion?
I believe there are certain characteristics to all good or real Lutheran hymns, especially those called the Kernlieder. This "core" set of hymns encompasses a huge slice of culture from Martin Luther to Elisabeth Cruciger to Thomas Kingo to Johannes Rist. However, we can talk about a certain unique style of hymnody as laid out in one early prolific poet, Paul Gerhardt. Luther's job in hymnody involved "setting the stage," after all, congregationally-led worship services were new and a basic layer of hymns needed to be planted.
The next generation, the group that grew up singing these hymns, were then free to build upon them, spreading a new layer of groundwork. In much the same way that the Orthodox theologians pieced Luther's theology into loci, the hymnwriters furthered their field in applying their own situation in life to the truths expressed in Scripture. To be sure, there is a "personal" quality to the hymns of Luther - he is a deeply psychological figure for the pre-psychological era. However, the Gerhardt era of hymnody expanded upon this to include devotional poetry, even before Pietism came to prominence.
Here are a few characteristics of Paul Gerhardt's hymns which become the signature, all-occasion style of Lutheran hymnody:
- They are real, because they embrace the theology of the cross. They don't pretend that sin is okay and that God's hidden self is actually punishment. Sin is bad. God is still good.
- Earthly treasure doesn't comfort, but the treasures laid up for us in heaven do. "What is all this life possesses/ But a hand full of sand/ That the heart distresses?" (ELH 377:5).
- They draw comfort from God's actual presence in His Word and Sacrament.
- They look towards eternity. We're merely passing through the world as travelers - heaven is our real home.
- They speak of law primarily as a "mirror." This is the Church, so the "curb" function applies more to the kingdom of power. After the Law reveals our sin, it may be taken as a guide the Christian desires to follow, as a redeemed child of God.
- There's a lot of joyful language - not fluff, but not overly idealistic either. It is true joy found in the Gospel promises. I feel like Gerhardt's cheerful tone implies that he is convincing himself to be joyful - laying hold of the comfort found in the means of grace rather than searching inward. In celebratory times these verses are good reminders for the Christian to thank the Lord. On difficult days, these point to where true happiness is located.
- They speak to Christ as a faithful Friend, more so than a supreme King. Gerhardt likes to refer to what Christ has done on our behalf, but his hymns for the Christian life stay in the realm of baptized, sanctified life. Luther's Christology emphasizes the Incarnation and the Resurrection, but Gerhardt's Christology rests beyond it in light of the Ascension. Because Christ's work on earth is finished, even as He is now present with us, He acts as our Advocate, Defender, and Brother.
"Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me" (ELH 377) holds to this standard. See how many of the above points you can find! Text here: https://hymnary.org/hymn/ELH1996/page/649
All in all, when you're experiencing a hard day, the real, cross-centered perspective of Paul Gerhardt is the only one that will provide you comfort. You can sing hymns about how your struggles with sin and suffering aren't real, but you know that isn't true. You might also sing about sunshine and springtime and how God must be good because He is smiling on you with earthly blessings. Again, not true. You can also find hymns wishing for Christ's presence to heal the hurt and bring peace on earth, but they overlook His presence with us in the means of grace, offering true peace to all who believe in Him.
Gerhardt hymns tell us about reality - real life, real feelings, real hope in Christ for salvation. They "call the thing what the thing is." And on a good or bad day, they provide cheer, comfort and reinvigoration to lay hold of this truth, and claim it as our own treasure.
