Not everyone in the world subscribes to the same idea of God. Even Christians themselves sometimes have different beliefs about the same God they worship. But one thing that never fails to bring people of different religious beliefs together is music. Gospel music is known for moving its listeners, regardless of their belief systems. So what is the secret healing power of gospel music that unites people everywhere?
First, here is a bit of history today. Gospel music was originally called “black spirituals” during its early phase of development. American slavers brought dozens of Africans to the US to work as laborers, particularly in the southern area. As the slave trade flourished, so did the demand and need for more African workers. One method slavers used to keep enslaved Africans in line was through the use of religion in which slaves were required to attend worship service with their masters. Newly converted slaves began to adapt the normally somber church hymns by incorporating their native African music into the hymn. It was inevitable that they would, considering that Africans viewed their tribal music as a means of connecting with the sacred.
Most of the music produced at the time focused on overcoming adversities and obstacles in life through God. For a believer, the healing power of music lies in reinforcing the idea that God is taking care of them and that everything will be alright. But if you take the religious context out of gospel music, to a non-believer the lyrics could also speak of simple emotional uplift and transcending obstacles. Gospel music is a powerful carrier not only of religious ideas but also of political ideology. There are those who believe that African slaves back then secretly communicated their messages to each other through gospel songs.
Evidence of the healing power of music is the emergence of African-American culture in the US amid the difficulties and trials they had to face before and after their emancipation. Gospel music spread continuously among the slaves due to their status; With no one to turn to in their time of need, they could only rely on God and themselves, and they achieved this seemingly elusive connection to the spiritual through gospel music. Psychologically speaking, this would also make sense as verbal affirmation plays a key role in helping a person define the goals they are pursuing.
The healing power of music tells people that they can overcome the trials that life throws at them. This idea, more than anything else, was a recurring theme in gospel music, especially for enslaved African Americans. Ideas are very powerful things because once they are planted in people’s minds and the moment they take root, it can be very difficult to ignore their influence on the person. People face obstacles every day and overcoming these obstacles is a task that everyone knows very well, regardless of their religious beliefs.