Christianity has been the focus of class this week, so it seemed important to take a closer look at the founder of Christianity from an alternate viewpoint other than the Bible. Most people know about the story of Jesus. The man that overcame many trials and doubt to spread the word of God. Some believe that Jesus was actually the Son of God, and that he died to save man from his sins. Many know about his trials, like wandering the wilderness and being crucified, as it is told in the bible and during Mass.
However, most people have not heard the song "Precious Jerusalem" by the German Power Metal band called Blind Guardian that also outlines the major trials in Jesus's life on earth. Just for the record, Blind Guardian is not a Christian band, but they do expand into mythological subject matter as part of their "Power Metal" status.
One of first obstacles that Jesus faces is doubt, which shows up in the song as: "I know it well, Every word I tell, Seems to make no sense at all". This is the lyricist's way of saying that the message of Christ was often doubted until he could provide a miracle or some sort of proof. His message of love and purity was also included as: "Words will heal it. Love will conquer the hearts of the hopeless, The Almighty is still alive". This explains Christ's overall idea to instill faith in God and to unite the people.
His trials like doubt in his hometown of Jerusalem and the hopeless situation of humanity, and his triumphs like the salvation of Humanity and Resurrection are also included in the song in lyrics like: "I turn to you oh my precious Jerusalem, deny your prophets their passion and treat them like fools", "Can't stand the pain, No more grief and misery. It goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Father stop it now, We must stop it now", and "Rise up and follow me, 'Cause I will bring the light. Rise up and follow me, Wake up and clear your mind."
Respectively, the first set of lyrics in the previous paragraph explain the grief that the Priests of Jerusalem gave Christ as they denied his message and how Jesus felt sorrow at the sinful nature of man, doomed to an eternity in Hell. The last lyrics detail Christ's return from death and his urge for people to act like him and to rise up above sin.
As the song shows, Christianity still has a large influence on the world outside of religious functions like church. It has the power to spread, inspire, and to bring the message to the people, just like it used to in Medieval Europe. The main difference is that Christianity is no longer confined to trade routes and the words of missionaries. Now, it can travel and reach more people than ever through alternative pathways like music.
Go ahead and listen to it. It is power metal, so it is slower, has easy to understand lyrics, and has a story to tell, unlike other genres of metal.
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I really liked your post. I had never heard of that band before, and I thought it was really interesting how you tied that song into what we learned in class. I made a similar post tying what we learned into lyrics/songs. Nice post!
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