Sunday, December 21: “Justice Delivers Its Gift” by Sufjan Stevens
Of all the songs on this playlist, this is probably the one you’re least likely to hear in Target. The second to last song on Sufjan’s 2012 Christmas album Silver & Gold is a surprisingly intense criticism of shallowness and materialism. “Lord, come with fire,” he sings. “Everyone’s wasting their time / Storing up treasure in vain.”
Sufjan’s lyrics connect directly to Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount, which are as much of an opposite to this season’s manic consumerism as could be imagined. Jesus commands, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Sufjan’s song ends up being a lament for the unlived life. In and among the masses of people preoccupied only with whatever is shiny and new, Sufjan seems to be saying, “Live your life for things that matter, because life itself won’t last forever.” But of course, Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount aren’t just a criticism of materialism; they are a part of his invitation to live generously with other people—trusting Him to take care of us as we share our resources with others.
Conversation starter:
“Who do you know who seems to have a healthy relationship with material objects and “stuff”?”
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