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about

"Sign" is inspired directly by two strands of Christian thought. The first has been referred to as 'the sign of contradiction,' which Simeon prophesies in Luke 2 to be the destiny of the child Jesus. He is a sign to be opposed, and a sign that opposes our warped plans and destructive trajectories.

The other strand comes from French-American philosopher René Girard. He proposed the scapegoat theory of violence and group cohesion. Basically, any group tends to assign blame for their ills on a scapegoat. Girard contended that this ancient mechanism in cultures was typified in myth and story by the group, in the end, being proven right, and the scapegoat being justly condemned to restore order.

Girard then concluded that the subversive, history-shaping power of the sacrifice of Christ can be at least partially explained by how it enters into and dismantles this mechanism. God himself becomes the scapegoat. And we're the ones spoken against and saved by the innocence of our victim.

lyrics

Party crashers
Raised up crosses
While we forgot to keep the feast
It felt like an epiphany
Of our true allegiances
To say the least

I just know that
We've been here before
Burning incense
To a strongman
And we just don't know when to stop
Without a sign
Of contradiction

Men without chests
Mourned no losses
When they lit up New York City pink
We don't hesitate to say
They love the least of these
What a nice thing to think

I just know that
We've been here before
Offering tribute with our own children
And we just don't know when to stop
Without a sign
Of contradiction

There's no bloodless membership
It's just a question of whose blood it is
We gather our strength against
Whatever victim seems expedient

You should know cuz
You've been here before
Being opposed from all directions
And we just don't know when to stop
Crucifying what
Contradicts us
We just don't know when to stop
Without a sign that can
Contradict us

I just know that we've been here before

I cannot get around the fact
Your holy innocence is the only last
Contradiction
That speaks against
And saves us
In the end

Please give us a sign
And contradict us

Cos I know we've been here before
I know we've been here before
And we just don't know when to stop
Without a sign of
Contradiction

credits

from Sign / False Infinities, released October 28, 2022

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Former Ruins Muncie, Indiana

You've shown me your power by where you conceal it.

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