I think that this song is about the way that we exalt ourselves, but that these exaltations are just an illusion. They are ways in which the ego builds itself up, but there is nothing substantial behind these claims.
In the first verse the cat thinks it is so sneaky and self-sustaining by drinking the milk. But this is a deception as the milk has been provided by a person watching "six steps off."
In the second verse, the peacock thinks it is free and it does have more autonomy than the animals in the cages. But this freedom is also an illusion because at any moment the zookeepers could put it in a cage as well.
In the last verse, the woman thinks she knows so much more than she really does and has a higher opinion of herself than she should. They put on different roles that they which are not truly them, like "children dressing in our parents clothes." Through this they try to disguise who they really are. But again, these are all self-deceptions and ways to exalt themselves
In contrast to these images of people/animals trying to exalt themselves is the portrayal of Jesus as the ultimate example of humility. Jesus doesn't try to exalt himself or create an image for himself. He doesn't defend himself from the attacks of people who have such a high opinion of themselves. However, out of this humility comes true power and greatness. This relates strong to verses in the Bible such as Matthew 18: "whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" and Matthew 23:12 - "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." This is the "new mystery" and "blessed backwardness"
This comes down to the chorus. "A glass can only spill what it contains" relates to the fact that we can only offer what we really are, not false self-conceptions. Those who exalt themselves don't really have much to offer because there isn't much behind this boasting. The "exalted" are then "humbled" by this. Jesus on the other hand, has humbled himself, and through this has become truly great. Therefore, his "spilled glass" has a lot to offer because it truly contains greatness and power. This can also be related to Jesus not defending himself when being taken to be crucified. Because of his humble willingness to empty himself, this event of "overflowing emptiness" has become so powerful for Christians.
Sorry this is so long, but I really like the words to this song!
I think that this song is about the way that we exalt ourselves, but that these exaltations are just an illusion. They are ways in which the ego builds itself up, but there is nothing substantial behind these claims.
In the first verse the cat thinks it is so sneaky and self-sustaining by drinking the milk. But this is a deception as the milk has been provided by a person watching "six steps off."
In the second verse, the peacock thinks it is free and it does have more autonomy than the animals in the cages. But this freedom is also an illusion because at any moment the zookeepers could put it in a cage as well.
In the last verse, the woman thinks she knows so much more than she really does and has a higher opinion of herself than she should. They put on different roles that they which are not truly them, like "children dressing in our parents clothes." Through this they try to disguise who they really are. But again, these are all self-deceptions and ways to exalt themselves
In contrast to these images of people/animals trying to exalt themselves is the portrayal of Jesus as the ultimate example of humility. Jesus doesn't try to exalt himself or create an image for himself. He doesn't defend himself from the attacks of people who have such a high opinion of themselves. However, out of this humility comes true power and greatness. This relates strong to verses in the Bible such as Matthew 18: "whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" and Matthew 23:12 - "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." This is the "new mystery" and "blessed backwardness"
This comes down to the chorus. "A glass can only spill what it contains" relates to the fact that we can only offer what we really are, not false self-conceptions. Those who exalt themselves don't really have much to offer because there isn't much behind this boasting. The "exalted" are then "humbled" by this. Jesus on the other hand, has humbled himself, and through this has become truly great. Therefore, his "spilled glass" has a lot to offer because it truly contains greatness and power. This can also be related to Jesus not defending himself when being taken to be crucified. Because of his humble willingness to empty himself, this event of "overflowing emptiness" has become so powerful for Christians.
Sorry this is so long, but I really like the words to this song!