| Theocracy – Mirror of Souls Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This is an incredibly complex song (I'm a Christian Theology major, and I could honestly write a dissertation on this alone), so I'll break it down by pieces. Part 1: From: Listen to the tale I tell Until: The world is turned to gold It's fairly obvious, as the metaphor is explained fully. The mirrors in the hall represent people who know the narrator. They see him as a generally good, righteous man, and this pleases him. He sees himself as the world sees him - as a virtuous man, and he's proud of it. Part 2 From: At the end of the Hall of Mirrors Until: If I cannot go on, I'll just lay down and die While this may just seem like a transition to get the narrator to the chasm, it's much more than that. The storm represents the suffering caused by sin. The golden door is a metaphor for temptation - it often looks appealing, sometimes it's even disguised as something righteous (the devil masquerading as an angel of the light, for example). He opens the door to temptation, and he begins to see his soul for how it is - battered by a storm caused by sin. Part 3 From: Suddenly, a light I see.... Until: My lonely heart is shattered and all hope I had is lost Caught in the storm of sin, the narrator notices a hope, an escape. A light (God) shining in the distance. He runs toward it, at full steam, until he is standing in front of a chasm, separating him from the light. Much like sin acts to separate us from God, the narrator's sense of hopelessness is an important aspect on his road to salvation. Part 4 From: I'm startled to feel a hand on my shoulder Until: [He] said, "Behold, I built a bridge for you." His hopelessness allows the Spirit to work through his Humility. Christ's death has built a bridge from man to God, across the Chasm of sin. In this section, Christ also acts as a comforter in the midst of the narrator's distress, highlighting His promises to never forsake us. Part 5 From: I cross the bridge toward the light Until: You see an illusion, deception, false reality The climax of the story, if you will. The narrator's acceptance of Christ's gift is only the first part of his salvation - there is something much more terrifying he must do next. He is forced to come to realize that not only is he not the virtuous man he thought himself to be, he is in fact the exact opposite - evil. Without God, a man can do no good, and this point is punctuated with an exclamation point when the narrator looks into the mirror. He sees himself, but his flesh is rotting. There is disease and decay. Maggots and worms make their home in his body, and his eyes black as coal. He realizes what others see is a lie, for they cannot see the soul. But God can, and He judges you by His standards, not yours. Part 6 From: I have seen my soul in the mirror. Until: You can save me, I believe" The final part of the narrator's salvation - confession and repentance. He admits that he is a sinner, and nothing in his power can change that. So he asks Christ to fix it for him. Part 7 From: And then He said "arise, my child... Until The Mirror of My Soul [end] This part can be summed up in one word - forgiveness. Christ takes our sins upon himself, but because He is God, he remains Holy. The scene where the narrator and Christ look into the mirror represents the double imputation of the cross - the mirror, the eye of God - only sees Christ, and has completely forgotten our sin. See, when God forgives, His forgiveness is absolute - nothing remains to hold against us. It is complete absolution. |
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