For most of my adult life, my music preferences have always leaned toward the classical; however, good music of whatever genre will always find a welcome in my ears, and pop music is, certainly, no exception.  Throughout the years of the 70’s and early 80’s, the pop music scene was to see a Swedish male / female, group of four, take the world by storm; their music to most was attractive in terms of the beautiful melodies they sang, the wonderful and quite meaningful lyrics that were woven into the music, and the foot-tapping rhythms that set everyone’s feet a-dancing – the young and the not-so-young.  I refer to ‘ABBA’, of course.  The name came from the first letters of the their Christian Names, Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anna-Frid Lyngstad; they came together to form a group in Stockholm in 1972, won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, and arguably, were considered by many to be the best group ever to have won the contest.

‘ABBA’ 

It is estimated that they have sold over 370 million records, world-wide, and their music still sells millions of records every year, making them amongst the top, best-sellers, in the history of pop.  Though of non-English ethnic background, their greatest successes were in the English speaking countries – England, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines; however, some of their records were made in Spanish and this ensured their popularity in the Latin American markets. 

Whilst together as a band, Björn and Agnetha were a married couple, and later, Benny and Anna-Frid became married, also.  Unfortunately, I think largely because of fame, and the pressures this brings to people in the public eye, both couples were to split up and become divorced, though the group of four still performed together; however, the effects of the estrangements became evident in the music they sang, becoming rather more introspective – more soul-searching – though no less attractive to millions, for all that.  And so it continued, until the eventual break-up of the group in 1983, after which, the individual members pursued solo music careers, in various roles. 

One of their most thoughtful songs, I think, was called ‘I have a dream’, the words of which are as follows:

“I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream
I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I‘ll cross the stream – I have a dream
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream.”

Reading the words, and giving them serious consideration, leads me to think that the members of the group were searching for ‘something’ else – that ‘something’ on a higher plane.  The song is of this world, but yearning for the ‘good’ – a ‘good’ that transcended all that the pop-world had given them; “I have a dream….I believe in angels….something good in everything I see….”  If one listens, carefully, to this rather beautiful melody and the way in which the words are sung, is not long before the whole composition begins to take one to a world, other than the earthy one we all know so well for its ‘other-than-spiritual’ values – values that, mostly, pervade the popular music scene, internationally.  In a way, I think it does take us to the world of angels – and beyond.

Creation – God Gives Life to Adam – Sistine Chapel – Michaelangelo 

From this point, it is easy to make the transition – a short leap of faith – from Abba, the pop-group to Abba (Father).  

The word ‘Abba’ was originally an Aramaic form, its definitive meaning being ‘The Father’, or ‘O Father’.  It was borrowed by the Greeks, in which language it was written as ‘Αββα’and in which it was invariably followed directly by the word meaning ‘Father’.  In Hebrew, it came to be used, historically, as a title of honour to the Jewish rabbis; by this time the vice president of the Sanhedrin was already known as the ‘Father’ of the Sanhedrin.  Later on, the title became applied to the bishops of the Coptic and Syrian churches, and in particular, it was the title used by the Bishop of Alexandria.  The name, Barabbas, comes from the same source ‘bar’ meaning ‘son’ of ‘abba’ meaning father. Our English words ‘abbot’ and ‘abbey’ are derived from the Aramaic ‘abba’. 

More importantly, the phrase ‘Abba, Father’, used three times, that we know of, in the New Testament, was identified, emphatically, as the way in which Jesus referred to His Father in heaven: 

“And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36) 

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6)

Michaelangelo’s depiction of the Blessed Trinity 

From these examples, it would appear that Jesus’ disciples followed his example in calling God the Father, Abba, Father, though I think we would be wrong to assume that Jesus only used the term of affection for His Father, on just one or two occasions.  It is more than probable that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, the language which was the fore-runner to the Greek translations of the New Testament.  The Aramaic word ‘Abba’ was a warm and intimate way for a son to address his father. It was very much the way in which a trusting child would call on his loving father, and it is not too much of an extrapolation to assume that Jesus used this term of endearment, to teach his followers something of the relationship he enjoyed with His (and Our) Father in heaven.  In this way, Jesus introduces us to God as ‘OUR FATHER’, also, and in a way that was never used in the old ways of the Jewish Old Testament. 

I wonder if this is what the pop group ‘ABBA’ were searching for?

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