by Pamela Easler
“The Dream Isaiah Saw” is a powerful contemporary anthem composed by Glenn L. Rudolph (b. 1951) in 2001. Dedicated to those who perished on 9/11, the poem was written by Yale Divinity School Professor Thomas H. Troeger (b. 1945).
Dr. Troeger states: “Our culture tries to get us to imagine a particular view of life—consumeristic, an attitude of looking out for number one—whereas the whole Gospel tries to get us to imagine a different kind of world. Using the imagination is one of the chief tools of the mind for understanding God.”
Dr. Mary DeRidder (Ph. D. Depth Psychology and Mythology, Pacifica Graduate Institute) shares her observations about the Biblical text (Isaiah 11:6-9). “Isaiah’s dream, vision or poetic expression uses archetypal imagery to express reconciliation, peace or holiness found when opposites come together. The lion and the lamb, the oxen and the bear are examples of opposite symbolic imagery. Among many interpretations, the lion may be seen as the strong, fierce ‘king of the jungle;’ the lamb as a vulnerable, defenseless sacrifice. These opposites are presented under the leadership of a little child, representing newness, possibility and hope (the ‘Divine child’ motif). Isaiah calls this child ‘Immanuel,’ and Christ is the manifestation of the union of the Divine and human form.
“From a more psychological perspective, the poem may be viewed as a metaphor of one’s own psyche or mind. Each of us harbors many conflicting thoughts, fantasies and ideas. Only when we are able to resolve the conflicts present internally are we able to move forward. The resolution may be accomplished by bringing the qualities of the ‘divine’ into our thoughts. ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us,’ or, more importantly, ‘God WITHIN us’—the hope, the freshness and the possibility of peace.”
The musical elements of this anthem often convey the message more powerfully than the words of the choir. . . The composer has chosen to begin the song by wandering harmonically from key to key with amorphous chord clusters which eventually resolve to an uneasy minor mode. There are too many conflicting notes in each chord, which move restlessly underneath the vocal line, representing confusion and chaos as the singers describe the beautiful vision of Isaiah. This tension remains unresolved as the voices repeatedly try and fail to find familiar harmonies over the unnerving dissonances of organ and piano.
The polarity and discomfort are suddenly broken by consonance (sweet harmonies) as the singers begin the chorus; a prayer to the “Little child, whose bed is straw.”
The long interludes between verses allow self-reflection, as we consider the dramatic final phrase of each chorus, which challenges each of us to live into peace (vs 1), social justice (vs 2), and restoration of nature (vs 3).
As we consider our personal commitments to crises and challenges within and without the Church and the world at large, we recognize the call to rededicate our lives to God’s service, as we pray to the Babe—“Take new lodgings in my heart!”