Gotham City

Well here’s just one more sad one, but it turns upward toward the end. Don’t skip this post… there’s also a challenge at the end.

I had intended to be done with all the “gloom and doom”. Well, I thought we were done with it. I was ready to move onto posts about Visions of a Brighter Day. I was looking for Gotham City videos to that end.

A City of Justice, Love and Peace

I find it interesting that R. Kelly called Gotham City a city of justice, love and peace. In looking for YouTube videos, I came across a comment where someone said something to the effect of  “I don’t think that Gotham City is a place one should frequent, but nice video”. I agree with that user. Perhaps that’s why most of the Gotham City videos I found are either dark or sad.

Before I had ever even seen a Gotham City video, however, I wanted to post the song because I hear hope and the beauty in it.

To me, it sounds like being “raised with Christ and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” while we’re right here in the middle of it all. It’s as if he’s speaking of a transformed world, a sort of utopia, similar to what the Bible speaks of as “the New Jerusalem” coming down from that higher dimension of spirit into our current circumstances. To me, the song speaks of an ideal land of peace and love. It has this triumphant feeling and sound to it – a celebratory sound that rings of freedom and harmony.

‘Sad’ Has Its Place

Therefore I was looking for a Gotham City video that sent a message of hope and victory. I didn’t find any that had this feel. I did, however, come across the following video, which I felt to be very moving, so I want to feature the video.  The creator is very talented.  So folks, we’ve got one more sad video post for you.

Sad is not necessarily bad. It’s just part of the cycle of life and growth. Sometimes we need to stop and take a good look at where we are, so we can decide to move from there. But it should get happier from here.

Please pardon the text in the middle of each frame, but I think the young man who made this video did an excellent job of conveying the message that we need a change. A message that we need a world of justice, love and peace.  I respect his work.

Had I planned in advance to use this video, I would have placed it along with other similar posts before the Something to Believe In post. Interestingly enough, however, I think that Gotham City is a good transition song for us to segue from And a Cry Went Out into posts on Visions of a Brighter Day.

Breaking Through to Brighter Days

At first, the song conveys a solemn realization of pain and injustice and it mourns the futility of it. In the midst of the sorrow, R. Kelly sings the refrain, which is like a sad prayer and a hope for peace. This can be heard even more clearly in the acapella part at the beginning of the second version of the song below.

Then the song lifts to a new dimension. In the second part, I hear jubilation and strength, life and beauty coming out of the darkness – being revealed through the darkness – coming forth in spite of the darkness – because of the vision, prayers and faith of the people. The prayer has finally been answered. The vision is now come to pass. We went to “this place that offers shelter” within, and we transformed life into this beautiful city.

The Gotham City song is sad in the beginning. Then at 1:57 it turns upward with optimism, vision, focus, resolve and faith in what he introduces at 2:10 – a “place that offers shelter“. This “place” the vamp sings of, pushes us through to the triumphant chorus at 2:15.

I see that “place” as the eye of the storm where the peace of God within, and the faith in the bright vision within, brings us through to the triumph and beauty we hear 2:15 and throughout the rest of the song, ending with happy children (signifying peace and love now and in coming generations).

Take a listen to this second video. It’s much more encouraging:

A Bright New Vision

Since I have never made a YouTube video and it would probably take much me longer than a lot of you who are good at it, I’m going to just throw this out there if anyone wants to grab the vision and run with it.

If anyone can hear and see the vision of hope that I see and hear in this song – if you hear the joy and peace – if you hear the celebration – if you can see a vision of a bright Gotham City in this music, I want to throw a challenge out to the YouTube video geniuses out there to create a Gotham City video with a redemptive feel.

Share your vision of a brighter world to the Gotham City tune. Send me a message at my YouTube channel spiritfree4ever letting me know you’ve posted. I’ll feature the ones I like the most on this site.

It Takes a Vision to Manifest

I ask this because for us to manifest unity in our world, we first need to see it within ourselves as a people. We need to envision it. Rather than mourn the tragic state of affairs – and rather than feeling the sorrow of our loss, we need to feel THE VISON and enjoy it’s joy. We need to believe it is possible. We need to have faith and hope and belief in it. And we need to love the idea and the feeling that comes with it.

I would like to see lots of visionary “Gotham City Reloaded” videos out there that will spark our imaginations. Videos that will inspire people with joy, hope, desire, faith, motivation and expectation.  Videos that will inspire people to really want to create this brighter version of the world.

God has blessed you YouTube movie makers with creativity. Thank you for all for your work. You give us stuff to work with. Your inspiring work does a lot towards making a difference in our world.

Here’s to our new and improved Gotham City.  Show us your vision.  Show us your stuff.

Envisioning a brighter tomorrow,

SpiritFREE1^SM