Here is a cover of the poignant hymn Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor written by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa.
These words inspire me in a way that’s reminiscent of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who himself was no stranger to suffering, perseverance and the need to cling to Hope.
Bonhoeffer was known not only for his devotion to Christ but also for his resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, which eventually led him to imprisonment at the Flossenbürg concentration camp where he was then hanged on April 9, 1945 as the Nazi regime was collapsing.
His life and leadership speak poignant truth to our current struggles today both as a church and as a culture. We have much to lament and the need to cling to Truth is paramount. Christ alone is our sure and steady anchor.
I was unfamiliar with this song when my friends at China Partnership asked me to share it for a special worldwide virtual prayer event they were hosting. Getting to create this for them has been a gift of healing for me. These words have fallen deep into my heart as both a prayer and a balm for my soul in these recent weeks. The truth it carries has withstood the struggles and the test of time, yet still stand firm as relevant today as ever.
I pray now, though in so many ways it seems the night has won, that deeper still will go the anchor of faith strengthening your heart and stretching your capacity to love.
The calm will be the better for the storms that we’ve endured.
As you soak in these words and music may a fresh hope be sparked in you, renewing the bonds of truth that hold you fast to the Anchor that can never be removed.
Christ the sure and steady anchor
In the fury of the storm
When the winds of doubt blow through me
When my sails have all be torn
In the suffering, in the sorrow
When my sinking hopes are few
I will hold fast to the anchor
It will never be removed
基督是锚，坚固牢靠，
虽暴风肆虐狂啸；
怀疑之风，席卷横扫，
风帆全毁船飘摇。
逼迫患难，愁苦忧伤，
当盼望沉没渺茫；
我要专心依靠这锚，
它稳固永不动摇。