Memories sparked from songs you have heard many times in your life are good things to write about, I have many of these and I hope you enjoy each and every one. This song proved to be a great affirmation of a religious, biblical concept expertly created by the master-mind who wrote and directed this. Not Hollywood exclusively but more so with the assistance of none other than beautiful earthy voice of miss Yvonne Elliman. It was 1978 and I was young, she was young, her voice innocent and lulling yet captivating, teaching. As for provocative, sensual, mistaken for by public awareness, her character portrayed as Mary Magdalene, I empathize with her sorrow and deep affection for a man she really didn’t even know, Jesus Christ.

The questions that leave us seeking whys are the greatest part of my life and from childhood when things were always questioned, I sought answers from the most unusual resources. A movie that we thought was going to be by Disney and about rich society cats, turns out to be a moving experience, well at least for me. Seems the theatre changed its feature and Jesus Christ Superstar; was running that week. I was not disappointed too much but heck I was only eight years old and a cartoon would have been okay. I was in for a surprise. What I refer to today as an illumination that stands within the deeper recesses of my soul and comes out when appropriate, especially now.

Sunday school conflicts began to arise when the teachings that Christ was without sin, woman, children, and even the occasional lover, here with this song, I first was confused. Okay I am thinking this is Hollywood, it is a movie and someone imagined Christ’s life to be like this. Simple right ? Well, not really. A movie such as this during our latter half of formative years could direct away from the indoctrination process already set in motion by parents, grandparents and community. If a child believes Christ was pure, this movie certainly sparked doubt.

I loved it ! I loved her immediately because she was pure in heart, she sang it and so beautifully. She was not afraid to show being afraid. When I heard it in the theater I felt her singing just to me telling me that this, love, is a very complex matter. There are no easy ways around what comes assigned to you not the other way around. You don’t seek it, it seeks you and if you are not ready, it even humbles you plenty. I was more awakened by a higher spirit while listening to this song than some of the sermons I had already absorbed in my short life. I became stoked for more in my desire to seek that love which even today, is the most difficult challenge with or without Christ looking over his shoulder as he guides you. I feel now that Christ and his beloved life-mate gave me direction to not steer away from unsatisfying indoctrination but rather direct me to more graceful measures of the divine principle I tend to overlook when always asking why . . .