Lyrics
God sent His Son
They called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior livesBecause He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He livesAnd then one day
I’ll cross that river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict’ry
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know he livesBecause He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
Reflection
This selection is one that may be a bit more familiar to the traditional church goer. The original hymn was written by Bill and Gloria Gather decades ago. It has a prominent place in many hymnals and is popular during the Easter season. The story of how the Gaithers came to the song has been shared many times. One account can be found here:
If there is a song that I could point to as simple, yet foundational, explanation of my faith, this song would be it. Over the years, I’ve been moved more and more by the hearing and singing of this song. It so aptly describes the “why?” of my faith life. The chorus echoes the reason we can keep on going day to day. When hearing the chorus it gives me new energy and a new appreciation of what God has called me to do. “Because He lives…” that’s all we need to go on.
Observations of a Drifter 