If you type into a search engine, “God is a . . .” near the top is “Englishman” (just after “astronaut”—go figure!). We quote this phrase all the time in England. It’s from a well-known book by R.F. Delderfield. Suffice it to say that my country’s relationship with God has a long and complicated history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the words of the hymn “Jerusalem.” Considered one of our most patriotic songs, the hymn also has the dubious honor of being the only one where every line can be answered in the negative:
And did those [Jesus’] feet in ancient time walk upon England’s mountains green? [No!]
And did the Countenance Divine, Shine forth upon our clouded hills? [Nope!]
And was the holy Lamb of God on England’s pleasant pastures seen? [Again, nope!]
And was Jerusalem builded here among those dark satanic mills? [All together now: No!]
William Blake penned the poem as a riff on an apocryphal story about adolescent Jesus visiting England’s shores and finding it to be heaven on earth. The hymn was written when religious fervor was rife in England; many believed God “favored” our land. Such words convey that nationality, not spirituality,
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