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Amazing Grace A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Jan 11 Credit: Getty Images It has been a harrowing week to close out an incomprehensible first year under the current president. This week, it is especially hard to find any reason to smile. So we have decided to pay homage to a song of healing and redemption: “Amazing Grace.” The iconic hymn, meant to inspire hope in the wake of tragedy, has become a “spiritual national anthem,” though its roots are English. The lyrics of “Amazing Grace” were penned by John Newton, a British poet, clergyman, and slave trader-turned-abolitionist, in 1772, though it wasn’t immediately set to music. The poem made its way across the pond in the early 19th century, and then American composer William Walker set Newton’s words to “New Britain,” a traditional melody. The song quickly became an integral part of the American tapestry, sung by Christian denominations in all corners of the young country. It was performed at tent revivals and bec...