I've never identified as Christian in my life but I suppose, having grown up in America over the second half of the twentieth century, that I still qualify as "culturally christian" to some extent. I always hated -- hated! -- the starched sermons of church and the syrupy, saccharine sound of hymns. It all sounded emotionally false to me, dripping with false piety. Of course, I used to feel the same way about classical music as a child. It made my skin crawl. I eventually discovered the appeal of Baroque! Fortunately, my family was not religious (or "cultured") so that spared me the baggage so many of my contemporaries were saddled with.
But I was always moved by Christmas carols, oddly enough. And have always loved everything everyone else descries about that season -- the lights, laughter, food, noise and presents. I love shopping for and buying presents for others.
So on Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem and began his show-down with the powers-that-be of Ignorance -- political, religious, and human. It appears that ignorance wins all the battles; faith says that truth finally wins the war.
John Fahey took an old spiritual, "In Christ There Is No East or West," and played to his strengths with it. Steeped as he was in the roots of musical Americana, John took this song and spruced it up in just that fashion. Makes it a lively piece of music. He recorded multiple versions of it, but the one from the 1974 album is still my favorite. His style is "out of style" but have a listen and see what you think.
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