He must have written many times about his conversion and how
he felt, and yet he gushed some more about this when he was 51 years old. James
Rowe’s feelings maybe never grew old with him, including in 1916 as he thought
about being “Redeemed” (otherwise known as “I’m Redeemed” or “Sweet is the Song”).
Never getting tired of one’s rescue – perhaps that was why this Irishman kept
writing over his lifetime. It may have been a microcosm of his experience up
until that point, and even beyond it, that motivated him to put pen to paper
and record the song. What matters most after 51 years? Consider Rowe’s answer.
James Rowe had come from a far distance and been in and out
of several vocations when his words about liberation in 1916 came to him. Perhaps
it was the experience of one or more of those episodes that helped his mind and
spirit form the words to describe how he felt. Was it working for the Irish
government, and then later leaving that job and his homeland that helped him appreciate
his redemption? What about working on the railroads and then later as an
inspector up and down the Hudson River in New York state? He started writing at
some point, probably for the same reasons many people do, and kept at it. The
work he was in at first, and then on a second try, and even a third time must
have been incidents that were less than fulfilling. Writing oftentimes starts
as a hobby, a way to find some spark that motivates and renews you. After three
different occupations, maybe it was his “hobby” that he decided should in fact
be his life’s calling. His beliefs were strong, and what better way to express
them than in poetry put to music? He must have felt very certain by the
half-century mark that what he’d chosen was the right path. ‘Sweet is the song’
he said, and he couldn’t get over what the gift of redemption meant, what
having a certain future – a heavenly one – ensured for this guy who had adjusted
his earthly course several times in the previous three decades. No matter what
had been, and what was still to come, Rowe exulted. In all of his verses, his
spirit surged over what he knew was true, dwelling on some immutable
certainties. Being saved, and having Christ in his present and future were not debatable
issues for Rowe in 1916.
As he wrote hundreds of songs (up to 2,600) for music
publishers in Texas and Tennessee, James Rowe had the advantage of thinking over
and over about his spirit’s destiny. His life hadn’t been without mistakes,
like any mortal. Was his memory bothered by shortcomings? Sure. There were
probably things that distressed him to a degree. By the time his hair was
turning gray (if he was like other 51-year olds) he must have concluded that
some rotten things would never go away, but that that was OK. Focus on what’s
to come, and what transports you there. Tell others how this confidence feels.
That’s when you’ll be mouthing Jim Rowe’s words.
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