The Ladder in the Sky

By Camron Schofield

‘Twas on a starry night he lay down his head

A stone for a pillow, the ground for his bed.

From a land far, far away,

He had come as a traveler that day.

Over the hills, and across the plain,

His heart, torn with grief and pain.

What had he done? I ask thee now?

Why did he come to be here this hour?

‘Twas by treachery,

That he came to be.

And now here he was, all alone,

Far from his father, far from his home.

Tossing and turning he tried to sleep,

But a guilty conscience, he did reap.

Cut off from God, and forsaken of heaven,

Here he was, like bread without leaven.

Sorrow and remorse, did fill his heart,

His God, he felt, had drawn apart.

With one last look upon the starry skies,

He sighed once, and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, out on the plain,

It glowed once, and glowed again.

And then it began to shine,

A ladder to heaven, a bridge across time.

From high and holy heaven,

To dark and dismal earth below,

Angels did come, and angels did go.

And far away in the depths of his spirit that night

Flowed a melody sweeter than Psalm

In celestial like strains it unceasingly fell,

O’er his soul like an infinite calm.*

What was it he saw? What did he see?

A Saviour, given, unto you and me.

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?
Is it nothing to you, this ladder in the sky?

Let me hear you say,
It’s all, everything to you,
And if you do, I will tell you,
You can have peace too.

* Borrowed from the hymn Far Away in the Depths of My Spirit by W.D. Cornell