a favorite song of mine

Vito's Ordination Song - Sufjan Stevens
I always knew you in your mothers arms 

I have called your name
I have an idea placed in your mind to be a better man 

I've made a crown for you put it in your room
and when the bridegroom comes there will be noise there will be glad and a perfect bed
and when you write a poem
I know the words I know the sounds before you write it down
when you wear your clothes I wear them too 

I wear your shoes and your jacket too
I always knew you in your mothers arms 

I have called you son
I've made amends between father and son or if you haven't one
rest in my arms 

sleep in my bed 

there's a design 

to what I did and said

New Criticism
These song lyrics use imagery and symbolism to create a powerful metaphor for Jesus of the Bible. Jesus is represented by the speaker himself. Ordinary words from our modern culture that do not fit at all within the context of the Bible show up throughout the lyrics. These have two effects, first of all to metaphorically identify certain aspects of the life of Christ. They also communicate the belief in Jesus' relevance to present-day culture. One instance of this occurs when the speaker says "I wear your shoes and your jacket too," which is a reference to the incarnation, when Jesus, son of God, took on a human body like a person might put on their clothing. The images of Christ in this song are varied, ranging from "bridegroom" to "father" to an omniscient person who "always knew you" to comforter ("rest in my arms"). They do not find their unity in the song, as it is not even directly stated that the speaker is Christ. It can only find it's cohesiveness with the outside knowledge of the character of God, which encompasses all these aspects. 

Deconstructive
It's interesting to note how the speaker goes from first person to third when he mentions the "bridegroom," which is a familiar Biblical image of Christ. This inconsistency seems to be contradictory, however, I think its purpose is to make a further connection to the speaker: Christ. In the Bible, Christ often spoke about himself in third person as "The Son of Man". So this ambiguity is somewhat typical of Christ, and yet in the Bible He always attributes his listener's inability to understand his words to their own blindness or lack of faith, rather than the cohesiveness of His words. So this wording implies that any confusion the listener might experience from this song actually comes from the listener's own mental weakness. Another contradiction can be found in the first line, "I always knew you in you mother's arms." It would be impossible for someone to do this because obviously one is not an infant forever. How can you "always" know someone in a temporal stage of life? Again, this contradiction can be attributed to the musician's intent to reveal aspects about Christ's character. The only way possible for someone to always know someone in a temporal position in life would be if that someone was not bound by space or time. So this ambiguity implies that Christ has this ability, and one might make the further connection that he therefore is God. 

Reader-Response

I LOVE this song. Some songs about Jesus do a great job of pointing out aspects of His character worthy of praise, while others focus on how He personally relates to us, and yet it's not often that one can find a song that mixes these two styles together so intricately and seamlessly as this song does. For instance, the lines "when you write a poem I know the words I know the sounds before you write it down" speaks of the omniscience of Christ yet to me it also speaks of how He is interested and involved in every aspect of our lives, and that He is the source of our creativity. The fact that Christ is the (implied) speaker is one of the aspects that makes the song so personal. The lyrics don't even slightly stretch the Biblical view of Christ, but rather take the most basic truths about Him and present it in an intimate manner that shows that He is a relational God who wants us to be in fellowship with Him. This song is a far cry from your typical worship song, and yet I find that it takes my mind into a place of meditating on God's goodness in my own life, aka ascribing worth to God, aka "worship." 

"What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more then a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts." 

-Amy Carmichael

Personal Statement

The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted my thoughts amidst that quiet evening in March. “Is this it?” I thought, looking up from my homework. An exchange of words with my mom confirmed my notion, and within 10 minutes were on our way. During the car ride, my mom talked incessantly, even when my quiet, contemplative mood made it a largely one-sided conversation. I could see the hospital from the freeway, lit up against the night skyline like a lighthouse with a million lights. Upon our arrival, I was struck by the square, sterile rooms and hallways of the hospital in contrast with the organic beauty of a new life about to come into the world. The birthing room was softly lit and quiet. Not long after…“here she comes!” “there’s her head!” “you’re doing great Heather” “there she is!”… Moments later I was “Auntie Grace” to a small, blue, fragile, crying life. Words cannot describe the sense of wonder that accompanied witnessing my niece’s birth!

One thing I came away with that night was the simple fact that life is a gift. Every moment of it, from those first cries in our mothers arms to our last breath. We have been given the opportunity to think, to feel, to love. Often we get so caught up in worrying about the future or regretting the past that we forget the intrinsic value of the present moment. For me, my stumbling block for a while was school; I had tendencies toward perfectionism and would get easily stressed out by homework or my long to-do list. I would get so overwhelmed that all I could think about was how much I didn’t like school and how depressing my life was. However, in the course of witnessing my niece’s birth and several other eye-opening events, my eyes were slowly opened to the pointlessness and ungratefulness of this mindset. Yes, school was hard, but why was I putting off enjoying life until it was over? Stress and worry certainly weren’t helping me! From that point on, school did not get any easier, and yet I found the stress slowly melting away and being replaced with joy. Instead of merely “enduring” school, I began to embrace it as a part of the gift of life! It’s true that my grades have fallen slightly from that point, but the truth is I’ve still worked hard and done my best. The reason for this change is that I’ve lost my need for perfectionism and have become more of a balanced person, focusing on a wider range of things besides merely my schoolwork.

Not only did this realization of the value of life allow me to truly enjoy it, but it also allowed me to more readily invest in others lives. Once I wasn’t so wrapped up in my own stresses and concerns, I began to see more of how I could be a help and an encouragement in the lives of my friends, in my school, and in my community. I joined the cross country team my junior year, which has led to some amazing friendships and opportunities to bless the lives of others. This past season has been particularly rewarding, as I had the privilege of being the team captain for eight amazing girls. I’ve also been involved in student government the past two years; junior year as class secretary and this year as ASB treasurer. Both of these positions have allowed me to be a servant to others and have also taught me some important lessons about what it takes to work as a team. I’ve also continued to do various acts of community service, from serving in the nursery at my church to volunteering in my local hospital over the summer.

As I held my little niece in my arms for the first time, I was struck by the beauty of that new life. Only a couple minutes old, that tiny baby had her whole life stretching out before her. I’ve been alive for 17 years, and I think I’m finally beginning to understand what it means to appreciate the gift of each moment. As a young adult, I have the amazing opportunity to spend the rest of my life living out this lesson. No matter what I might encounter in the future, I know that I can always find joy in the simple fact that I am alive and can make a difference in the lives of others.