How perspectives of classic and modern folk can relate to Christ: NEW (Noah Kahan)

Editor’s note: When “Church” (capitalized) is used, the writer refers to the body of Christ, and when “church” (lowercase) is used, the writer refers to the weekly, physical gathering of believers (i.e., going to your local church).

The leaves are falling. The weather chills my bones. The welcome romanticism of autumn takes residence in my soul, and songs by indie folk singer Noah Kahan are on repeat during my drives to and from campus.

Recently, while listening to his album “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever),” I began thinking of a Christian-related concept that has been the subject of much debate in recent years: church hurt. 

“Honey, come over, the party’s gone slower / And no one will tempt you, we know you got sober.”

Kahan’s song “Orange Juice” tells a story of consequences, trauma, hospitality, confrontation and the passive-aggressive communicated hurt that often arises when friends drift apart. That’s quite the mouthful of a description, but it’s difficult to explain the depth and meaning that pervade Kahan’s songs without getting a little wordy.

In this heartrending song, Kahan describes the efforts of a man to bring a recently sober woman back into his life and community after a time of wondering where she’d gone. Kahan’s character offers the woman orange juice “bought for the children” and shifts into a self-critical introspection, bemoaning that he didn’t seek to find out where she’d disappeared to.

“There’s orange juice in the kitchen, bought for the children / It’s yours if you want it, we’re just glad you could visit / Feels like I’ve been ready for you to come home / For so long / That I didn’t think to ask you where you’d gone.”

The song builds, and the young woman, defensive, states that she’s changed. She has forsaken alcohol, but with it, she’s also thrown out her past life and all the friends it contained. She asks Kahan’s character this question: “Don’t you find it strange / That you just went ahead and carried on?” 

In a secondary high note of the song, Kahan’s character responds with, “Are we all just crows to you now?”

Hurt within the confines of the church is a difficult, uncomfortable topic. It’s been the cause of rifts between family and friends, deconstruction of faith and an inherent need to more carefully define terms. One must remember that the “church” is not a perfect reflection of Christ. The body of Christ comprises the Church, and the body has by no means reached complete sanctification. 

In “Orange Juice,” Kahan combines grace in the form of orange juice (albeit seasoned with bitterness) with healthy confrontation. Kahan’s character encourages his friend not to let friends and home be tainted by her trauma. This is exactly the kind of interaction that we Christians must have with our brothers and sisters who feel betrayed by the church that they attended, whether their feelings are warranted in nature or not. 

Let Kahan’s seemingly passive-aggressive line about the precious orange juice having been “bought for the children” be a reminder that we all bring our own hurts to the table. This imperfection serves to more effectively highlight our need for a mediator and intercessor in our broken relationships; we need Christ to mend.

Some have a tendency to bury the Church because of what happened in church — because of a church member. In a culture that regularly accepts and assigns a near reverence to the phrase “I was hurt by the church,” it’s important to offer gentle pushback and new perspective (also a great song) to those wrestling with their pain.

“You didn’t put those bones in the ground / You didn’t put those bones in the ground.”

The point of this article is to communicate (aside from my love for Kahan’s music) that hurt and mistrust must be traded for grace and truth. Granted, many individuals will not respond to these, but it is nevertheless our job as Christians to be faithful to our Savior, who redeems all if we only believe in him and accept his grace.

“There’s orange juice in the kitchen, bought for the children / It’s yours if you want it, we’re just glad you could visit.”

Glen is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion