Naive

I am a religious person, and though this mentions God and other religious themes, I have this feeling that it is more about human actions rather than religion.

I personally think that the meaning is that, even though we grow wiser with age, we are still unknowing and learn every single day. We are naive until the day we die. And even then, there is more to learn.

We make mistakes. Some more than others. But at the end of the day, it is only because we are human; it is how we learn.

So many look at a situation with such a stubborn outlook and never bother to consider another's point of view.

If we take our time to notice this, become more forgiving of others, and just accept everything for the way that it is, we can realize how beautiful life is.

When all is said and done, love is the most important aspect of our entire life.

i'm not religious at all, but this song is so beautiful...

"Religion is a breeding ground Where the Devil's work is deeply found, With teeth as sharp as cathedral spires, Slowly sinking in."

man. i think this is so true. like, the devil is most at work, i believe among the Church, because he wants them to stop worshiping God.

"God knows that I've been naive But I think it makes him proud of me. Now it's so hard to separate My disappointments from his name."

i think he's talking about not being a part of the division, choosing to be ignorant of the things that cause division in the Church and for that, he thinks God would be proud of him, for not being a part of that. however, because of the people that claim to be obedient to God and yet so unattractive in their actions, it is hard to separate their actions and words from God Himself, but he knows it isn't God, but the people, that are unattractively acting.

"Because shadows stretch behind the truth, Where stained glass offers broken clues And fear ties knots and pulls them tight. It leaves us paralyzed."

i think maybe the shadows behind the truth is the impact it's having on the people. and the stained glass offers broken clues because it only shows some of the major parts of Jesus' life but it doesn't really explain much and so people are left to their own devices in trying to figure them out. the church thinks that they are explaining Jesus, but they're only giving a few ideas of Him, because of the fear that paralyzes, i think referring to the church being afraid to talk to them and tell them anything beyond Jesus dying and coming back to life, leaving out so much.

But in the end such tired words will rest. The truth will reroute the narrow things they've said. The marionette strings will lower and untie And out of the ashes, love will be realized.

eventually false teachings and misinterpretations of God's Word and the judgement and pride that came from them in the eyes of the "church" will disappear at His coming and we'll no longer be able to speak lies, because He'll be very obviously speaking truth. the devil will no longer be able to work and so the strings he's holding around us that paralyze us will fall and we'll realize His love and the love He wants us to live out.

"God knows that we've been naive And a bit nearsighted to say the least. It's broken glass at children's feet That gets swept aside unexpectedly."

we've been naive in thinking that God is made in our image and in trying to make Him in our own ideas of who we think He is and instead, the stained glass will break and He'll no longer just be a depiction, but a reality, which He is now, but a lot of people treat Him as just a thought or theory and not as a living, speaking, active God- which we'll only recognize when we come to Him with the "faith of a child".

"Religion is a breeding ground Where the Devil's work is deeply found, With teeth as sharp as cathedral spires, Slowly sinking in." Looking at this from how I have been hurt deeply by the church, I think this is referring to how the church has changed into a place full of Pharisees who are doing the Devil's work and pushing people away from God. There are so many wolves in the clergy that don't get fired because there are only 13 states with laws against clergy abuse (scary, I know!) The church has turned into more of a business where they sell to you what you want to hear. I don't think many people are going to be saved in churches anymore unless the church as a whole sees the plank in their eye. Unfortunately, religious people refuse to see it.

"God knows that I've been naive But I think it makes him proud of me. Now it's so hard to separate My disappointments from his name." God knows that we have blindly followed the religious institution, being hurt in the process. But he is proud of us because we weren't a part of the nastiness due to being in it because we wanted to truly be good people and love others. The second part is referring to how it is hard to separate the awful stuff the church has done from his name because the church says they are doing it in God's name.

"Because shadows stretch behind the truth, Where stained glass offers broken clues And fear ties knots and pulls them tight. It leaves us paralyzed." The truth is changed but subtly by church people. Many use the Bible for their own selfish gain (spiritual abuse). But the stained glass shows us pictures of Jesus usally, and those are the "broken clues" as to what Christianity should be. Fear is a tactic used in churches that abuse power. The fire and brimstone speech is given to anyone who points out the lies of the wolves.

"But in the end such tired words will rest. The truth will reroute the narrow things they've said. The marionette strings will lower and untie And out of the ashes, love will be realized." In the end the deceptions and lies people in the church have perpetuated will finally be destroyed by the truth, and the love of Jesus will finally be realized.

"God knows that we've been naive And a bit nearsighted to say the least. It's broken glass at children's feet That gets swept aside unexpectedly." God knows we were naive as to the harm the church has done, and couldn't see the danger we were in, but he swept the glass away from our feet so we wouldn't step on it and be cut.

This is my interpretation based on my own journey. I grew up in the church, and I am not saying all church people are bad, but churches the way they are set up has allowed for wolves in sheeps clothing to come in and exploit people. There are genuine church people, but many have become Pharisees, judging the hurting sinners who come to church, driving them away. They are doing the Devil's work by turning people away from Jesus through their hatred while claiming to represent him. I was so very hurt by the church because of the way they treated me due to my mental illness (depression and anxiety). I thought God had abandoned me, as people constantly quoted verses about don't be anxious etc. My father used scripture as a means of control and has emotionally, verbally, and psychologically abused my family. It really does lead to a skewed view of church and ultimately of God. It wasn't until I set out on my own journey to find answers that I started to discover that God is nothing like the way church makes him seem. His love is unconditional, he loves us no matter what and he is a gentle, kind, and loving father. It's a journey I am still on and it is my own, but this song resonated deeply.