Similar to the musician, composer, and ethnomusicologist, Komitas, who traveled across even the most rural villages in Armenia to learn and capture the folk songs of the local villagers, the writer of I Wonder as I Wander was an American musician, songwriter, and ethnomusicologist who traveled through Appalachia in 1933 to collect the folk songs of the local townspeople. He heard a few lines of this song sung by a poor, young girl with unkempt, unwashed hair in ragged clothes who had been taught the song by her mother, who had learned it, handed down from her grandma. We can sing with the same confidence as this young girl that Jesus Christ did not come to this world to save those who rely on their fortune, their education, their class in society or even their charity and good works as their comfort. No; He came to save all who trust in Him, whether they have much or little education, whether they have great or little means, whether they have high or or little places in society, whether they are “good people” or not (for none of us are as good as Christ, and as good as God’s justice demands). Even “on’ry” people (it is unknown whether this was to be “ornery” (stubborn) or “ordinary” but both are appropriate) have been given the incredible gift of the God, the loving Father – so long as they remove all of their trust in themselves and their works to save them, and they place all of their trust for salvation in their elder Brother, Christ Jesus, who came in human flesh as a child and grew into a man Who bore the sins of the world, died and was resurrected, and as King, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. To stand in wonder, like this young girl and her mother, and her mother’s mother, that God would do this for “on’ry people like you and like I” is to sing the song of every Christian – that we deserve it not, but in His infinite love and grace, He has done so, and our response is none other than to strive to obey His commands and worship Him singing “Alleluia.”
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. – 1 Timothy 1:15
I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus the Savior did come for to die For poor on’ry people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all. But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall And the Promise of ages it then did recall.
If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing A star in the sky or a bird on the wing Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King.
I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus the Savior did come for to die For poor on’ry people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
