Heaven on Earth

 In St. Bernard's Jerusalem the Golden, we are exposed to a Jerusalem of the past. Believed to be written in the 12th century, this poem takes the author through the history and sacredness of the land to the Christian people. This section of the poem was a part of a much larger hymn, meaning its original audience didn't read it but instead listened to it. The rhythm of the poem plays to the audible qualities that the audience would have heard and creates a sense of peace and order. When the poem speaks about Jerusalem, the energy cultivated is already one of acceptance, by which I mean acceptance of the people by the land. However, this is not just the physical land of Jerusalem, but a literal heaven on Earth.  We can see these parallels in the way the author describes Jerusalem. We see that there is "many an angel" and that "the Prince is ever in them" which can be assumed to be Jesus. This furthers the idea we've seen throughout our readings and throughout Jerusalem's history: that Jerusalem is a direct access point to heaven. In the poem, the author refers to Jesus bringing us "to that dear land of rest" which in the poem refers to both Jerusalem and heaven because, in the author's mind, they are one. 

This concept can seem very foreign to us in the current day. Since this poem is so old, there are themes and references that may be hard to translate into the present day. The physical embodiment of heaven in Jerusalem can be one of those themes that seem strange now but were fundamental to how the people of the time viewed the land and even affects how some of us see it now. There are other aspects of the poem that can be misinterpreted based on the past knowledge the reader brings to it. When discussing those who fought for Jesus and will be allowed in the kingdom of heaven, the author describes them as being "clad in robes of white." When we hear this as 21st-century Americans, are minds most likely won't go where it was intended to and instead rely on more relatable knowledge. This can cause major discrepancies like thinking the robes of white mentioned before might have more to do with the KKK than the following of Jesus. Acknowledging the past information that you bring into the works we are reading, but not having it influence your interpretation allows for a clearer and more in-depth understanding of Jerusalem's history.

 

Jerusalem as heaven

https://erikbrewer.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/the-new-jerusalem/