Handt hanson biography

Seven springs ago, in the second month of my worship at Faith Lutheran Church, Glen Ellyn, Ill., I encountered for the first time the hymn “Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 512), composed by Handt Hanson.

Lutheran hymnody was new to me then, but the lyric and the melody of Hanson’s brief yet evocative hymn captivated my attention and touched my heart in an unusual way.

“Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word,” we sang.

Handt hanson biography

“Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood.”

The song came to mind again recently when I saw films about two people whose lives and work were good soil, open to the seeds of God’s word and bringing peace and growth to the lives of countless readers and viewers.

Neither was Lutheran, but both embodied the core ideas of Hanson’s hymn: Henri J. M. Nouwen and Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers).

Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch theologian, professor and Catholic priest. He spent the latt