ghosts & admissons

Thursday, September 07, 2006

The little known 4th verse of Amazing Grace is rarely sung, and for the most part ignored entirely. I find this a shame because personally I think its the most beautiful part of the song.

"When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s Praise than when we’d first begun."

RCA records and the Catholic Church has gone to great lengths to turn this beautiful hymn into a marketing tool. Let me walk you through this verse by verse.

Verse 1
"I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see" Typical scenario that leads people to God, wayward souls can identify with the concept of being lost or blind and are intrigued by the thought of deliverance. Its the dope hook that gets their heads nodding and gets ‘em in the front door.

Verse 2
"How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." This is a testimonial and by extension and admonition. Cause and effect; if you believe you shall be redeemed. This was utilized by organized religion to attract people to Jesus' sweet salvation and convert those bad boys into abortion clinic bombing crusaders!

Verse 3
Overcoming adversity "Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come." These are all pitfalls that can be avoided by accepting Jesus as your Lord, however was cleverly spun into this is what you will return to if you fall out of fellowship with the lord. Its now the equivalent of if you don’t get the new 7 blade razors girls will laugh in your stubly face. Get out your cheque books.

This song deals with the great obstacles that you can over come with God in your life, and is beautiful both in its message and aesthetic appeal. However much of the message is lost, especially with the exclusion of the fourth verse. Lets talk about end game. Salvation is eternal, and there will come a day when the problems or adversity we face on earth are gone and nothing but tranquillity will reign. So why exclude this last verse? The concept of everlasting life and immediate salvation through Romans 10:9-10 doesn't exactly keep the register ringing. So to keep record sales up and the tithe coming it was removed, you now have to continually buy your way into heaven or risk eternity in hell or purgatory. The culmination of the song revels that God’s promise of eternal life is absolute, but that makes for a shortened product life cycle. So they built in obsolesce to the promise, and insisted on a renewable contract rather than a life time guarantee. Its a shame really, big business wins again.