Baha'i Library Forum

Sounds like a funny topic, but have you seen the Devon Gundry video"Armed" yet?

Take the verse:

"Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world's afflictions can in no wise alarm me" (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 208)

add a very good pop voice repeating the sacred verse over and over, then set it to a video comprised of three mini dramas superbly acted by the likes of Red Grammer, Alex Rocco, and an award winning performance by Eva La Rue, and you have something truly unique and beautiful. Imagine a pop video that seeks inspire.

I don't really like pop music much, but I'll tell you, if you watch this video and repeat the words of Baha'u'llah in your mind while watching these amazing performances, you really come to a spritual awareness and sense of meaning about these verses that might otherwise have been missed.

So I was thinking about this beautiful spiritual video, and the practice of dhikr in Baha'i life. This video helped guide me to a deeper appreciation of the deep significance of the words being recited that I might have otherwised missed. However, through dhikr and meditation and reflection of life, it seems possible that this connection could be attained without the video too.

What do you think?

I hope videos like this keep coming from Devon and other Baha'i artists, that use what is good in current enterntainment technologies to not only enterntain us, but inspire us a lift us up.

I'm surprised it took this long for a thread about this video to appear on these forums.

It was shown at the end of the feast a fair few feasts ago in our community. Every time i watch it, it moves me without a doubt. I've watched it a lot lately when I've needed a bit of divine assistance. You're right, it does help.

Here's the thing, a lot of Baha'i at the feast didn't understand it. They found it rather depressing. I think at the end of the day, the video is still an artistic expression which requires a bit of thought. For this reason, i love it. Each time i watch it, i noticed another bit of detail that made the video more powerful.

I hope to see many more videos by Baha'i artists like this soon.

Depressing? Interesting. Tragic for sure, but each story has hopeful conclusions. In a Christian video like this one, you'd probably see angels or ascending spirits to make the point of hope. This video also has its angels I think. Subtle, realistic angels. To me that's why it is profoundly hopeful and spiritual, because the message of hope is embodied in the simple ordinary things of life that you must look for to find. Much better than giving hope through fanciful, unrealistic winged beings and such.

http://www.myspace.com/nabilandkarim

They're also good

yeah, I've watched it a few times. It is truly beautiful.
But for those who haven't...have a box of tissues handy ;o)

For me, it is uplifting. The "good samaritan" helping the tramp, just proves that each one of us can make a difference. Like the question in the Evan Almighty movie.... "How do we change the world?" .... one Act of Random Kindness at a time!