When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone.
Originally from the musical Carousel, first staged in 1945, “You’ll never walk alone” has become a global anthem that resonates with people across the world in tough times. It was written towards the end of World War 2, at a time when “every American was grieving the loss of a brother, son, father or friend…” (Oscar Andrew Hammerstein, grandson of the composer Oscar Hammerstein). “You’ll never walk alone” has been covered numerous times, and was used by Liverpool Football Club as their anthem.
In 2020, people once again turned to it as a song that symbolises hope in difficult circumstances, with a recording made by Michael Ball with Captain Tom Moore and the NHS Voices of Care Choir. Over the last year, when other activities have ceased, the birdsong has been louder and sweeter than any I can remember. We have often heard and seen skylarks when out walking. And we have walked a lot.
Many have felt alone during this pandemic. The words of the song speak to a deeply-held hope and conviction within human hearts, that we are not alone in the mess of our lives in this broken world. The simple but powerful melody appeals to many people of different generations and cultures and has transcended the original context in which it was written. It speaks of hope and carrying on in the midst of tragedy and heartbreak. It seems to be generally applicable enough to mean something to people in all kinds of circumstances.
The ultimate concern here is about looking to the future rather than dwelling on the tragedy of the present. This is a future where no-one will walk alone. It is not hard to be reminded of the message of the Bible, with its many stories of journeying and pilgrimage, and of God’s everlasting faithful love. Jesus is referred to as Immanuel, “God with us” and promises that He will be with us till the end of the age. In our own time, we also think of the words of Captain Sir Tom Moore, “tomorrow will be a good day.”
I believe that one reason for the enduring appeal of this song is that it does have genuine perspective on life. God or Jesus are not explicitly mentioned, so we don’t know the precise source of the hope or what exactly it means to “never walk alone.” In our present time, the “hope in your heart” referred to in the song might be the prospect of meeting a loved one again, or hugging someone, or having a holiday, or just going to restaurant for a meal. It might be good friends who stick with us through the ups and downs of life. It might be rest and healing from months of stress and burnout.
However, although the song talks about hope and never being alone, for me it doesn’t go far enough. I believe that we all need something more to hang onto. My experience over the last year is that God is faithful and when the going gets tough, his love is real. The artwork I have created reflects this. It portrays the journey from Eden to the new Jerusalem. It highlights the promises to Noah and Abraham – who both trusted God as they set out into unknown scary territory. Words from Psalm 23 and Psalm 119 remind us that God is with us and shows us the way. The cross of Christ has redeeming blood, and life-giving water. The single red sheep symbolises the Lamb of God. I used luggage tags to write the Bible verses on because this is in keeping with the journey theme and a reminder of the hope that we carry with us as we go through life.
One of the last events I was involved with, just before lockdown was a charity concert which included “You’ll never walk alone” on the programme. The audience sang along and it felt like a hymn. A lady in the audience talked to me afterwards about some of the hard things she had been through and how much the concert had helped her. I feel moved and also comforted when I think about this event. God walks with us, he never leaves our side and he lives within us. As followers of Jesus, we have a role to walk alongside those who are hurting and traumatised to bring encouragement and hope.
On the journey 