In March of 1912, gospel songwriter C. Austin Miles sat in his darkroom waiting for his film to develop. A photography hobbyist, he often used this time to read the Bible and search for song inspirations. When he opened the Bible to a random page—the Gospel of John, chapter 20—he was suddenly filled with inspiration and words and music began flowing through him.
The story chronicles Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb after Jesus’s crucifixion. Weeping over Christ’s missing body, Mary heard a gentle voice calling her name. Realizing it was Jesus standing before her, she was filled with joy.
