![]() This absolves me from ever making the embarrassing effort to gratify God (and the church) by imposing religious content on anything I do." In every circumstance (giving a speech or tying my shoes), I am living and moving and being. "It’s not so much that faith influences us as it lives in us. Today, they can quickly lead to devotional artifice or didactic crap." "On an aesthetic level, faith and art are a dangerous match. Sufjan talked a bit in an interview about why his songs waver between offering Christian messages and humanist woes. With all its consequences.” (Roughly translated from a Dutch interview) So isnÂ’t it funny how religions - especially Christian institutions in the US - have eliminated all doubt? They donÂ’t understand how important it is to doubt. With every figure in the bible you find doubt - Abraham, Moses, all the kings and the apostles. One of the foundations of faith is the lack of it - the disbelief. Then you doubt the existence of God and His intentions. Because we donÂ’t cope well with the idea of evil in this world. Experiences like this always cause doubt. I couldnÂ’t understand why she had to die. “I was a teenager and this was my first experience with death. I accidentally posted this as a reply the first time BUT Sufjan Stevens on Casimir Pulaski Day: I don't know if anyone has posted this yet because there are so many comments. "and he takes, and he takes, and he takes." a wise person told me once that true worship can only happen when we are willing to be honest with God - be that a moment of thankful praise - or one of darkness and doubt. how discouraging this must be (and is) when much of our experience is in reality a great deal less pleasant than such affectivity would imply. unfortunately, many have been made to feel that the only emotions welcome in a religous enviornment are joy and happiness. i think it is a form of defensiveness and denial when people are not willing to acknowledge their fear, disappointment, rage, jealously, etc. truly - he is willing to express BOTH the joy and the despair that are regular parts of our lives. what i am most struck by is the HONESTY stevens uses in his music. Well said, although i would probably myself want to suggest something more along the lines of "confusion" and/or "frustration." perhaps that is a mere semantical point, though. "I would say that this song is definitely about being mad at God" - jady So to me, this phrase really, and I think purposefully, highlights the juxtaposition of appearances/reality, strength/weakness, maturity/age - all themes which kind of undercurrent through the song. This is something that's a little "below the radar." That being said, an untied shoe is more than simply an aesthetic problem, it's a functional one as well - you can very well fall down, and possibly hurt yourself from tripping on a shoelace. There is no physical benefit or reason to have a shirt tucked in or not, - it's simply something you do to appear a little more "put together" to those around you.Īn untied shoe, on the other hand, will probably be noticed after the shirt. Basically put, I think this is a gorgeous way of describing how these two people, in the face of one of life's most difficult situations, are attempting to put on a strong, smiling facade "tucked-in shirt," while actually, at their very core, being functionally "untied."Ī tucked-in shirt is what? Completely aesthetic. The "shirt tucked-in and shoes untied" phrase, repeated twice, is the one I kind of found most intriguing. With my shirt tucked in and my shoes untiedĪnd the nurse runs in with her head hung lowĪnd the complications when I see His faceīut he took my shoulders and he shook my face ![]() With your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied When your father found out what we did that night In the living room when you kissed my neck ![]() ![]() We lift our hands and pray over your body When the light pressed up against your shoulder bladeĪnd the complications you could do without When I found out you had cancer of the bone ![]()
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