The blessings are many when one walks with Christ. As the Light of the World, Christ dispels the fear, depression, loneliness and evil often associated with the dark of night. One of our country’s darkest times, The Civil War, is regarded to have heavily influenced the popular hymn. The composer, Harrison Millard, was badly injured during the Battle of Chickamauga in northern Georgia. The lyricist, Martin Lowrie, trained young men headed for the war at a military institute in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Both were abundantly familiar with the strife and darkness that could envelop us at any time, and both chose to embrace warmth and light of the Lord to guide them through.
