Behold the Birth of Man, the Face of Glory
Despite being a longtime Sufjan fan, I didn’t have much personal history with “Behold the Birth of Man, The Face of Glory” before this project. As we all know, Sufjan has an exceptionally large discography; so it’s fairly easy for songs to slip under your radar. Especially considering that he has over four hours of Christmas songs alone. In preparation for this write-up, I decided to put this song on repeat, lay on my bed, close my eyes, and listen without any interruptions.
The way that Sufjan is able to convey so much emotion in one piece is remarkable. This song truly transports me to a different world. Even though it is barely over a minute in length, Sufjan manages to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere with just his piano playing. He clearly put an extraordinary amount of passion and care into this. The fact that the only instrument on this track is the piano creates a solitary experience for the listener and highlights his exceptional abilities as a pianist.
Sufjan creates memories that play like a movie in my head when I listen to “ Behold the Birth of Man, The Face of Glory.” In the chaos of Christmas, this song represents those rare few moments when you can truly be alone with your thoughts. It is stepping out for a cigarette on a cold winter night and staring up at the stars, contemplating your existence in the universe while you can hear the muffled sounds of laughter from a party inside. It is waking up in the middle of the night and walking downstairs to see the Christmas tree still lit up, and your partner is snoring softly on the couch. It is about finding time to center yourself during a hectic month of holiday parties and family gatherings.
In these moments of solitude, I think it’s important to reflect on the past year and look back on it with kind eyes. You made decisions this year that directly correlate to where you are right now. Despite how you might feel about this past year, you still managed to make it to another holiday season, and I think that’s worth celebrating. I began this year in a very different position than the one I’m in now, and that will probably be the case next year as well.
Listening to “Behold the Birth of Man, The Face of Glory” invokes a lot of emotion in me, and I urge you to try and listen to it with a very open mind. Within this minute-long song, there is a multitude of perspectives and feelings that Sufjan is able to touch upon.
I hope that everybody reading this has a happy holiday season and that you can find time to step away from our chaotic world and have a few solitary moments to reflect.