Nothing There to Love

II first heard this song 8 years ago. I was going through YouTube watching videos of my favorite singer, Josh Young. When I saw a Video that was titled “Josh Young Sings Amazing Grace” I was expecting a hymn, but instead I found that I was watching a promo video for a new Broadway musical: Amazing Grace. Josh Young, who was cast as the lead of the show, spoke a little bit about what it was about and we got to hear snippets of 2 songs from the show, Nothing There to love being the one that hooked me.

I became obsessed, I mean this is musical theater and my faith all tied up together and to be honest this show changed my life, and deepened my faith, and without it I would not be the same Bonnie you see today. 

Amazing Grace tells the story of the man behind the hymn, John Newton. Look this man up, I mean it, or call me and we’ll chat about him, because his life is just unbelievable. 

I love the show, but this song is one of my heart pieces. I will always carry it with me. During the shows out of town tryouts in Chicago before it headed to NYC there was a Facebook contest to win tickets, I did everything I could to get as many entries as possible. I didn’t win that giveaway, but I did write a Facebook message to the composer, Chris Smith. He is a very kind man and wrote me back and kept writing me back. He even sent me the music to this version of the song when I asked to buy it years ago to perform it at a competition I never ended up going to. 

​I ended up getting to see the show twice on Broadway, once on tour and twice at the Museum of the Bible. I got to have dinner with Josh Young and Erin Mackey after the first time I saw the show. I will never forget walking into that theater and what it felt like watching the show. This was the first time I consciously realized that art, and music in particular has this incredible special power to connect people, and open hearts and minds. 

So I hope that you know that you are loved even when it seems there is nothing there to love.  

I made this word art using the lyrics to "Nothing There to Love" and changing the color of the text to match one of the promotional pictures the show used!

The version of this song in the actual Broadway show is different than the one he sent me, as it was still being workshopped. Which is another reason why this is so so special to me. John Newton sings this song to Mary Catlett in the show. But I have always thought that the way Chris Smith wrote it, it could be anyone's song to Jesus. 

“This is my song, for the one who loved me when there was nothing there to love”

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Happy Easter!