Story Behind the Hymn
Horatio G. Spafford, son of Horatio Sr., inventor, author, editor, and entrepreneur who corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison. Horatio Jr. was a church elder, successful lawyer, real estate mogul, devoted husband, and father of 5 children. He lost many of his earthly treasures in the early 1870s when pneumonia took the life of his only son and the Great Chicago Fire destroyed most of his investments. Two years later, he arranged a respite for his family. They were to enjoy a relaxing vacation in Great Britain while he joined his good friends Dwight L. Moody and Ira Sankey in their evangelistic campaigns. Unexpected business developments forced him to stay behind while his wife, 4 daughters, their governess, and two others went ahead of him.
On November 22, 1873, four days into the voyage across the Atlantic, their French steamship, S. S. Ville du Havre, was struck by a Scottish iron clipper. In only 12 minutes their ship and 226 of its 313 passengers plunged into the icy depths of the Atlantic. Little 12-year-old Annie Spafford offered a calm voice of courage to the adults who hovered around her as she calmly pronounced, “Don’t be afraid. The sea is His and He made it.” The children were literally ripped from Anna’s arms. Mrs. Spafford was found by a sailor rowing a small boat semi-conscious, floating on a piece of broken planking. Nine days later, she wired her husband a message, “Saved alone. What shall I do?” He was on the next available ship to join her. The captain called Spafford to his cabin when they were over the place where his children went down. That evening he wrote one of the most cherished and well-loved hymns of all time, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Since its first introduction at the Moody Crusades, this hymn has offered hope and consolation to millions of people worldwide.
After the trauma at sea, the Spaffords became religious outsiders, convinced that the end was coming for all. They left the church, rejected monetary success, and embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1881. Left behind were creditors, bad publicity, and the established church. In Jerusalem, they founded the American Colony, one of the world’s finest 5-star hotels. They established soup kitchens, hospitals, and orphanages while they awaited the Lord’s return. They served Muslims, Jews, and Christians during and after World War I and the Armenian and Assyrian genocides. Through the years, it has become the preferred hotel of diplomats, politicians, and foreign correspondents including Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, Tony Blair, and Peter Ustinov.
Watch Grace Ministry’s Story behind the hymn.