August 10, 1886 - Joseph Scriven Drowns

The writer of the famous hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” Joseph Scriven, lived a life marked by tragedy and despair. He was never financially stable, he lived through the death of two fiancées before he was able to marry them, and he lived with depression most of his adult life. He ultimately died on August 10, 1886, when he drowned. Some believe he may have taken his own life, yet the fact that a man who struggled so greatly could write such a powerful hymn about Jesus as a friend is inspiring.