With these words, from the writers Dean, Riser and Weatherspoon, Jimmy Ruffin launched what was to become a Motown Records' Soul classic in the summer of 1966. The song captures the anguish and despair of losing a loved one. Jimmy says he felt a personal connection to the song, as he had lost his mother when he was young and had also experienced romantic heartbreak. He said that he sang the song with emotion and sincerity, hoping to touch the hearts of others. The song also reflects the social and political turmoil of the 1960s, when the US was involved in the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement was facing resistance.
Despair is the keynote in this song, in the third verse Ruffin sings .."I walk in shadows searching for light. Cold and alone, no comfort in sight. Hoping and praying for someone who cares. Always moving and going nowhere."
And he closes with a dogged, hopeful resolve ... "I'll be looking everyday, I know I'm gonna find a way, Nothing's gonna stop me now, I'll find a way somehow, and I'll be searching everywhere, I know I'm gonna find a way, I'll be lookin'.
Our broken heartedness has been observed for millennia. The book of Proverbs records 'A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,
But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.' However, the Psalmist, speaking from experience, captures that there is one place to turn to 'He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.' The prophet Isaiah speaks of one who is coming with a significant role to play, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.'
It's this same passage from Isaiah which Jesus uses at the beginning of his ministry to define the focus for his life and work. Jesus told his followers "I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends."
Isn't Jesus telling us that the way to heal a broken heart and be filled with joy again is to love, like he loves us?
A thought from Tim Heeley
