When I’m stressed there’s only one thing I really should do and that is take myself off to a corner somewhere and just listen to a hymn or two for a minute: “Abide With Me”, “Rock of Ages”,” Those In Peril On The Sea”(which i think in a little way could also mean in peril on the sea of life maybe?), “Jesus Loves Me”, “Jesus Lover Of My Soul.” Any hymn has the same power to both soothe the soul and stimulate the senses at the same time; the union of powerful, stirring music coupled with comforting,cheering, encouraging words a match, possibly literally, made in heaven.
But it is only the hymn that has this ability to both soothe and stimulate, calm you down and lift you up, no other ‘religious’ form of music seems to do that. I love gospel music, oh to sound like Mahalia Jackson would be such a gift and the Presley Gospels, not for nothing is it that the only Grammy awards he received was for his Gospel records, and when you watch him singing ‘why don’t you swing down sweet chariot (let me ride)” in the film ‘The Trouble With Girls’, yes, its a film and yes hes acting, but when hes singing that, its not E.P.actor, it’s just a man singing joyfully to his God. Johnny Cash, ‘I Saw The Light’? I’ve heard a few different versions of this song but in his version, there is no doubt he saw the light, and is overwhelmingly grateful..Hank Williams, George jones….the list goes on.
You also have the somewhat embarrassing (sorry but true) attempts of the modern day Christian songs trying to reach to the masses, and show they’re edgy too with rock, techno (!) jazz…and other forms of secular style music to Christian lyrics…((ummmm sorry not convincing even for me).
I think this is maybe why the Hymn is tolerated by the non sure people so much so that there’s not one I know who can’t name me a hymn they know and even really like: because the Hymn does not try to be something its not, it is as it is with no apologies’.
I’vie tried listening to them all and though my favorites include Gospel, as said, nothing soothes and stimulates both at the same time like the Hymns..
