'Jesus Is Calling': Carrie Underwood's Powerful Las Vegas Memorial at the CMA Awards
11-09-2017
CBN News Benjamin Gill
Country music stars came together for the prestigious CMA Awards Wednesday night, just one month after 58 people were killed at a country music festival in Las Vegas. Almost 500 others were also wounded in that massacre.
The country music world sought to honor the victims throughout the evening, starting at the very top of the ceremony with a powerful performance of "Amazing Grace" by Eric Church.
That was followed by plenty of awards and a rousing group performance of "Hold My Hand" by dozens of country stars.
But the most poignant moment of the evening came when Carrie Underwood performed the classic hymn, "Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling," in memory of all the victims of Las Vegas.
Underwood was overcome by emotion at one point as photos of the victims appeared on the screen behind her.
Her voice began to break up, and she became so emotional she couldn't continue singing the words.
"Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling," Thank you, @CarrieUnderwood, for this moving tribute to the beautiful souls we've lost this year, including the 58 victims of the #LasVegasshooting.
The "In Memoriam" section of the show began with photos of country singers and members of the community who passed away in the last year. But when photos of the 58 people who died on Oct. 1 were displayed in the background, that's when Underwood grew emotional.
The moment captured the hearts of many viewers, who posted about it on social media:
This dark, often cruel world is a whole lot brighter because of people like this beautiful soul right here!
it’s people like her that give me hope that everything is gonna be alright! #CMAawards
While Underwood did not sing the entire song, here are the lyrics to the traditional hymn:
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me
Pleading for you and for me
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!
O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
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