The first stanza is an image alluding to Gideon (Christian Bible, Book of Judges). Gideon tested God multiple times through leaving a fleece on the grass and asking God to make the grass wet and the fleece dry in the morning, or the opposite, etc. This was all an excercise in building Gideon's faith to do great things for God. Bazan has a faith where he has doubted and tested God and each time he has ended up more sure of God's existence, "makes a fool of me". The song goes on to point out the futility of explaining his faith. It is a very personal and very strong belief even with doubt, but others are unable to understand personal faith through any explaination. He takes it one step further "I can't think it like I feel it and I don't feel a thing," indicating that he can't even fully explain his faith fully to himself, yet he still believes. Bob Dylan: "Faith doesn't have a name. It doesn't have a category. It's oblique. So it's unspeakable. We degrade faith by talking about religion."
The first stanza is an image alluding to Gideon (Christian Bible, Book of Judges). Gideon tested God multiple times through leaving a fleece on the grass and asking God to make the grass wet and the fleece dry in the morning, or the opposite, etc. This was all an excercise in building Gideon's faith to do great things for God. Bazan has a faith where he has doubted and tested God and each time he has ended up more sure of God's existence, "makes a fool of me". The song goes on to point out the futility of explaining his faith. It is a very personal and very strong belief even with doubt, but others are unable to understand personal faith through any explaination. He takes it one step further "I can't think it like I feel it and I don't feel a thing," indicating that he can't even fully explain his faith fully to himself, yet he still believes. Bob Dylan: "Faith doesn't have a name. It doesn't have a category. It's oblique. So it's unspeakable. We degrade faith by talking about religion."