- As of October 2023 (TEN YEARS LATER!) a much better version of "Ring the JESUS Bell" - purposefully renamed - is made with an accompanying video; for instance:
https://rumble.com/v3pjekt-ring-the-jesus-bell-by-mark-lajoie.html
- As of February 24, 2013, a new Garageband version of "Ring the Judas Bell" had been produced which includes live vocals: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/16363961
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/13650225 Link to "Ring the Judas Bell" [Noteworthy Composer with NO live vocals]
Once again, this is one the group never did. It was "in my head" (those who know me are quite surprised that I had ANYTHING in my head back then). I read the teen novel "Ring the Judas Bell" back in the 60's; the book was set in WWII Greece and the title referred to an alert about traitors. There was one incident where a boy is surrounded by wolves but walks away. But, in my mind I completely made up an entirely different story. My story imagines an Anytown where - as so often happens in real life - "the people turned away" from the One who made them. A young boy sees the problem and tries to warn them, but no one listens. He wanders off and the same kind of thing happens with the wolves. The miracle isn't really that the wolves went away, it is that this boy gains his self-confidence and is able to speak up for himself and the welfare of others. He marches back into town and everyone immediately senses the change in him and they start ringing the JESUS Bell now. And he doesn't need to "say a word"!
I had shown this to some of the LW people at times but we never did it and I had never before gotten out how I imagined the song would be. This is my chance. I decided not to change the lyrics that much because I want to honor the integrity of that 10-year-old boy back then who read a book and was trying to grow up in a bad situation and saw some hope in his Faith.
{The picture below is of St. Paul's Center in Augusta, ME, run by the Oblates. I went to a day retreat there when I was 10. Five years later, it would be the catalyst for my conversion experience, thanks to so many dear friends I met there.}
Mark L.
Once again, this is one the group never did. It was "in my head" (those who know me are quite surprised that I had ANYTHING in my head back then). I read the teen novel "Ring the Judas Bell" back in the 60's; the book was set in WWII Greece and the title referred to an alert about traitors. There was one incident where a boy is surrounded by wolves but walks away. But, in my mind I completely made up an entirely different story. My story imagines an Anytown where - as so often happens in real life - "the people turned away" from the One who made them. A young boy sees the problem and tries to warn them, but no one listens. He wanders off and the same kind of thing happens with the wolves. The miracle isn't really that the wolves went away, it is that this boy gains his self-confidence and is able to speak up for himself and the welfare of others. He marches back into town and everyone immediately senses the change in him and they start ringing the JESUS Bell now. And he doesn't need to "say a word"!
I had shown this to some of the LW people at times but we never did it and I had never before gotten out how I imagined the song would be. This is my chance. I decided not to change the lyrics that much because I want to honor the integrity of that 10-year-old boy back then who read a book and was trying to grow up in a bad situation and saw some hope in his Faith.
{The picture below is of St. Paul's Center in Augusta, ME, run by the Oblates. I went to a day retreat there when I was 10. Five years later, it would be the catalyst for my conversion experience, thanks to so many dear friends I met there.}
Mark L.
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