This is mark Joseph “young” blog entry #466, on the subject of The Song “In a Mirror Dimly”.

I remember exactly where I was when I wrote this song, and what inspired it.

I was dating Sue Adams my freshman college year, and in June, 1974, right after school was dismissed for the summer, we spent a few days at her home on Staten Island.  She lived in a duplex, and her grandparents, who had shared the other half of the building, had died that spring.  Thus I was given one of the vacant bedrooms in the otherwise empty half.  There was an old mirror, the sort that was losing its silver and so had an imperfect reflection, leaning against the wall near the bed, and I had my guitar handy when I awoke.  The mirror reminded me of the passage in I Corinthians 13, so the words of this song came to be.

I remember stretching a bit for the second verse, looking for something else that gave a weak reflection, and the storefront window was the only thing that came to me.  The third verse stepped out of the mold, but was still about something we would see that would, in a sense, reflect the image of God.

I was never overly fond of the song; it felt a bit strained to me.  However, others like it, particularly my wife.  I performed it with The Last Psalm in the 74-75 year, and so I included it in the recordings I made for Dave and Jes Oldham.

This is another vocals-over-midi-instruments recording.  It is rather good, probably because it is simple.

In a Mirror Dimly.

So here are the lyrics.

In a mirror dimly we can see His face.
He is God most holy; His image we can trace,
But oh, what an image–
It scares me to think that someday
I may see Him!  I may see Him!

In a storefront window we buy our peace.
We don’t count it sin, though we find release
From oh, such an image–
It scares me to think that someday
I may see Him!  I may see Him!

God is great, and God is good,
We thank Him ev’ry day.
He gives us life, He gives us food,
But if He came to stay
Would we let Him live with us?
Would we let Him reign?
He once died as Jesus;
Would He die again?

In a quiet sunset His glory shows,
But we haven’t learned yet, and may never know
Oh, such an image–
It scares me to think that someday
I may see Him!  I may see Him!

In a mirror dimly we can see His face.
He is God most holy; His image we can trace,
But oh, what an image–
It scares me to think that someday
I may see Him!  I may see Him
Face to face,
Face to face.

*****

Previous web log song posts:

#301:  The Song “Holocaust” | #307:  The Song “Time Bomb” | #311:  The Song “Passing Through the Portal” | #314:  The Song “Walkin’ In the Woods” | #317:  The Song “That’s When I’ll Believe” | #320:  The Song “Free” | #322:  The Song “Voices” | #326:  The Song “Mountain, Mountain” | #328:  The Song “Still Small Voice” | #334:  The Song “Convinced” | #337:  The Song “Selfish Love” | #340:  The Song “A Man Like Paul” | #341:  The Song “Joined Together” | #346:  The Song “If We Don’t Tell Them” | #349: The Song “I Can’t Resist You’re Love” | #353:  The Song “I Use to Think” | #356:  The Song “God Said It Is Good” | #362:  The Song “My Life to You” | #366:  The Song “Sometimes” | #372:  The Song “Heavenly Kingdom” | #378:  The Song “A Song of Joy” | #382:  The Song “Not Going to Notice” | #387:  The Song “Our God Is Good” | #393:  The Song “Why” | #399:  The Song “Look Around You” | #404:  The Song “Love’s the Only Command” | #408:  The Song “Given You My Name” | #412:  The Song “When I Think” | #414:  The Song “You Should Have Thanked Me” | #428:  The Song “To the Victor” | #433:  The Song “From Job” | #436:  The Song “Trust Him Again” | #438:  The Song “Even You” | #441:  The Song “Fork in the Road” | #442:  The Song “Call to Worship” | #445:  The Song “How Many Times” | #447:  The Song “When I Was Lonely” | #450:  The Song “Rainy Days” | #453:  The Song “Never Alone” | #455:  The Song “King of Glory” | #457:  The Song “Greater Love” | #458:  The Song “All I Need” | #462:  The Song “John Three” | #464:  The Song “The Secret”

Next Song: Present Your Bodies