To me, this clearly ISN'T a song about Jesus being a "Savior". As some others have noted, the image of Jesus in this song is used as a symbol, specifically one that provokes a lot of thought from most people. In this song, Jesus' example teaches the boy that sacrifice is a form of love. He notes, "Mama, he's got some scars, just like me", and the cause of the scars. Both the boy and the biblical Jesus made a sacrifice in order to show how my they cared. This stays with the boy throughout his life, and when he is drafted into the military, he sacrificed himself to save another man ("he gave to a friend what he learned from the cross", namely sacrifice).
This is a beautiful song. It nearly brings me to tears every time I hear it. I am an atheist, but I feel what the image of Jesus is trying to convey here.
Also, "Mama, he's got some scars, just like me" is the most beautiful line I will ever hear.
@stuffitystuffs Congratulations, I can't believe no one else gets it, that he sacrificed his life for a fellow soldier. That's definitive. If you interpret it to mean that he preached to a friend that's too sloppy and loose. It's a serious song and preaching isn't a sacrifice. There has been entirely too much preaching lately. Forgive me but I am liberal and sick of the religious right.
@stuffitystuffs Congratulations, I can't believe no one else gets it, that he sacrificed his life for a fellow soldier. That's definitive. If you interpret it to mean that he preached to a friend that's too sloppy and loose. It's a serious song and preaching isn't a sacrifice. There has been entirely too much preaching lately. Forgive me but I am liberal and sick of the religious right.
To me, this clearly ISN'T a song about Jesus being a "Savior". As some others have noted, the image of Jesus in this song is used as a symbol, specifically one that provokes a lot of thought from most people. In this song, Jesus' example teaches the boy that sacrifice is a form of love. He notes, "Mama, he's got some scars, just like me", and the cause of the scars. Both the boy and the biblical Jesus made a sacrifice in order to show how my they cared. This stays with the boy throughout his life, and when he is drafted into the military, he sacrificed himself to save another man ("he gave to a friend what he learned from the cross", namely sacrifice).
This is a beautiful song. It nearly brings me to tears every time I hear it. I am an atheist, but I feel what the image of Jesus is trying to convey here.
Also, "Mama, he's got some scars, just like me" is the most beautiful line I will ever hear.
@stuffitystuffs Congratulations, I can't believe no one else gets it, that he sacrificed his life for a fellow soldier. That's definitive. If you interpret it to mean that he preached to a friend that's too sloppy and loose. It's a serious song and preaching isn't a sacrifice. There has been entirely too much preaching lately. Forgive me but I am liberal and sick of the religious right.
@stuffitystuffs Congratulations, I can't believe no one else gets it, that he sacrificed his life for a fellow soldier. That's definitive. If you interpret it to mean that he preached to a friend that's too sloppy and loose. It's a serious song and preaching isn't a sacrifice. There has been entirely too much preaching lately. Forgive me but I am liberal and sick of the religious right.