大多數的人不曾聽過凱特．翰奇（Kate Hankey），但她是一位非凡的女性。她是教師、傳道人、學校創辦人、宣教士和詩人，在十九世紀的英格蘭忠心地服事耶穌。凱特在1867年罹患嚴重的疾病。在康復的過程中，她寫了一首很長的詩，可分成兩部分：《我想聽的故事》與《我想要告訴人的故事》。她在這首長詩裡，以親身的感受表達了她和耶穌的關係，以及耶穌一生的事蹟。

整部聖經都指向耶穌並講述祂的故事。使徒約翰在書信開頭提醒讀者，他們曾親身經歷過耶穌：「論到……生命之道，就是我們所聽見、所看見、親眼看過、親手摸過的」（約翰一書1章1節）。正如使徒寫到，他們親身經歷了耶穌，所以能講述耶穌的故事：「這生命已經顯現出來，我們也看見過，現在又作見證」（2節）。後來約翰作了美好的陳述：「上帝的道常存在你們心裡」（2章14節）。換句話說，耶穌的故事也是我們的故事。上帝要我們從自己與祂相遇的經驗，講述基督的故事。

這就是凱特·翰奇用她的詩所說的故事。後來，這首詩的兩個部分成為兩首廣受喜愛的詩歌：《我愛傳講主福音》與《請講述古老福音》。也許我們能像凱特一樣，以自己的經歷跟別人分享耶穌的故事，分享祂如何以獨特的方式愛我們，來到世人當中，並拯救了我們。

Most people have never heard of Kate Hankey, but she was a remarkable woman. A teacher, evangelist, school organizer, missionary, and poet, she faithfully served Jesus in 1800s England. In 1867, Kate contracted a serious illness. During her recovery, she penned a lengthy poem in two parts: “The Story Wanted” and “The Story Told.” The poem expresses in a very personal way her relationship with Jesus and the events of His life.

All Scripture points to Jesus and tells His story. John begins his epistle reminding readers how they had personally experienced Jesus: “That which . . . we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim” (1 John 1:1). Because of our experience of Him, the apostle writes, we’re telling the Jesus story: “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it” (v. 2). Later, John makes the fascinating comment, “The word of God lives in you” (2:14). In other words, the Jesus story is our story too. We’re called to tell the story of Christ in light of our own experience with Him. 

This is what Kate Hankey did in her poem. Eventually, the two parts of her poem became these beloved hymns: “I Love to Tell the Story” and “Tell Me the Old, Old Story.” Perhaps we might, like Kate, find our own words and share our Jesus story with others—the unique way in which He loved us, came to us, and rescued us.