SORROWS BENEATH THE CROSS

Every beloved hymn carries its own unique tale—some born from triumph, others from quiet contemplation. Then there's "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Its story wasn't written in ink, but in tears, distilled from a life marked by almost unbearable sorrow. For over a century, it has comforted the grieving and weary. Yet the man who gifted us these words died in obscurity, his own story unknown to the millions who found solace in his song. This book unveils that unseen life—a journey into the heart of Joseph Medlicott Scriven: a Victorian scholar, a grieving fiancé twice over, a voluntary pauper, and a mental health sufferer who walked the lonely streets of a Canadian frontier town. We won't find a flawless saint here, but a man intimately acquainted with the depths of grief he so eloquently described. His faith was forged in catastrophe and refined in daily battle against depression and loneliness. To truly grasp the hymn, one must understand the man. And to understand the man is to learn that the most potent comfort for a broken world often emanates from those who are themselves broken.