Next to reading, I love listening to a wide range of music, including Southern gospel and hymns. One hymn that seems to be on every station is “Amazing Grace.” It has been adapted to every style, and through it all, the lyrics have survived since 1772. I recently read an article about the author and how he came to write the lyrics.

Newton was a slave trader. I believe he came to realize that he was distressed, that it was wrong, and had to change his life immediately, which he did, turning the slave ship around in mid-voyage. By doing so, he was saved by grace, not by his own efforts or works. I wonder if many people think that when they hear the song.