“Divine Messengers” is a new series that recounts and celebrates the lives of particularly inspirational figures throughout history, ones who have left lasting imprints in their wake.
Each episode features a particularly brave individual who faced many challenges but ultimately stayed true to themselves, as well as their connection with the divine.
The first episode is about Johann Sebastian Bach, a famous German Baroque-era composer—known for his many masterworks, including the Brandenburg Concertos, Cello Suites, and the Mass in B Minor. He came from a large, multi-generational musically-inclined family, and many believe him to be the pinnacle of all of their distilled talents.
However, what many people don’t know is that he also had a very abrasive personality and would often say what was on his mind, no matter the repercussions. Although his musical talents and gifts earned him the respect of many of the nobility of his day—along with some choice positions within the musical world, his hot temper also gained him a plethora of enemies.
Bach was also a very religious man (Lutheran) and most of his over 1,000 compositions were written for usage during worship. His profound faith in God can also be found in much of his secular compositions and scribbled notes. His reliance on the divine for his musical inspirations has given him the moniker of “the Fifth Evangelist.”
Cultivating One’s Character
Featured in the second episode, we learn that Socrates was born in 470 BC to a stoneworker and grew up in Athens. Like other patriotic youths of his age, he enlisted in military service and became a seasoned warrior—fighting in at least three battles of the Peloponnesian War. He continued to serve in the army on and off until about age 50. One of the men he saved in battle later became his follower and mentions how Socrates turned down an award for valor.He would often engage in long, trance-like states of meditation, sessions in which he was said to speak to the divine through his soul. This led to his visiting the Oracle of Delphi, who not only confirmed that Socrates did indeed have a connection with the divine, but that he was the wisest of all men.
Instead of becoming arrogant, he saw this prophecy as a sign that he needed to devote his life to finding someone wiser than himself since he modestly didn’t quite believe himself to be that wise. Thereafter, he created a system called Dialectics—or methods of discovering the truth. In Plato’s Republic, Socrates describes this technique as “A form of knowledge that treats the eye of the soul gently, takes it up from the mud and guides it up.”
His many positive ideas and teachings on cultivating one’s character brought him many followers. But it also gained him many enemies among powerful elites; those whom his insights revealed to be deceitful, self-absorbed, and/or power-hungry.
Prophetic Visions
The third episode is about Hildegarde von Bingen (also known as Hildegarde of Bingen), another visionary who was born in the Rhineland of Germany in 1098 to a noble family. She began to experience visions from a very young age, although no one else could see them.Fortunately, her parents concluded that Hildegarde had a divine gift and she was enrolled at a local convent, fleshing out a core of women who were attached to the abbey. When she succeeded Jutta as prioress in 1136, her visions became both more frequent and vivid than ever and she received a message from God to “write what you hear.”
Thereafter, she received help from a committee of theologians (who’d confirmed her visions), which assigned her a monk to record her visions in writing. The result is a powerful work titled Scivias, which consists of 26 prophetic visions that deal with such topics as redemption and the relationship between God and humanity.
Hildegarde risked becoming labeled a witch by proclaiming her divine visionary gifts to the church. But she did it anyway so that she could selflessly help others heal their bodies and souls. As with Socrates, she was instrumental in exposing corruption among many of the elites of society.
One of the things that is so fascinating about this series so far is that it is very well researched and reveals many elements about these important characters’ lives that aren’t too well known. For example, Bach’s terrible temper, as well as his reliance on God for inspiration.
Another great takeaway from “Divine Messengers” is that even though many of these people lived hundreds (or even thousands) of years apart, they share similar characteristics and convictions, such as seeking out the eternal mysteries of life, and being truthful. It’s an incredibly well-produced, uplifting, and inspiring series that I plan to cover more in the future.
