Panthelion is a new discovery of mine.  Endika (the bass player) is cool guy.  Fast-forward to about 13 minutes in for my favorite piece:

"iamdrowninginadigitalseaiamswimmingbeneaththesound

hearmyvoicegoestoonesandzerosimslippingbeneaththesound"

I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them fall away mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing / pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion / disintegrating as it goes testing our communication / the light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication.
I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down / no fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to / point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over / To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication.
The poetry that comes from the squaring off between / And the circling is worth it / Finding beauty in the dissonance / There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away. / Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting / I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing / Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication.
Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion.
between supposed lovers between supposed brothers. (I know the pieces fit. 8x)!

Introduction

Wow, where to begin with this amazing song and video.  These guys are phenomenal and nothing they put out is done for any reason other than to produce great art.  There is so much spiritual imagery packed into these lyrics and video.  The word schism has a long history within the Christian Church.  It is the word used to describe the seperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054.  This date was a fairly long time in coming, but prior to this event, there had been only one Christian church.  The seperation between the Western Church (with Rome as the capital) and the Eastern Church (with Constantinople as its center) resulted from cultural differences that seemed to lead to theological ones.  In interpreting the message of this song, I hear it written from the perspective of one of these parties who have severed ties.  In the work there is the expression of a longing for reconciliation.  Similarly for us, there is a spiritual message that we can identify with, that there are schisms that separate us that must be overcome.  Below is a more thorough exploration of the lyrics, an application drawn to our own lives and a final conclusion offered. 

Exploration

The song begins with the voice of one of the parties addressing the conflict stating, "I know the pieces fit, cause I watched them fall away.  Mildewed and smoldering," this a result of a "fundamental differing."  The song continues, "pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion..." This intention of loving Christ gets juxtaposed as a result of being lived out within to very different cultures.  As a result, what results is a "disintegration as it goes testing our communication."  From this point, the Word and Spirit of Chirst as, "The light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between so we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication."  So the irony is expressed here that it was their love for Christ which had united them, and now it was that same love for him expressed differently that was leading to their separation. 

One of the parties continues, "I know the pieces fit cause I watched them tumble down," He continues, "No fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to point the finger blame the other," and "watch the temple topple over / To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication."    The image of the temple toppling over is what I find strking about this passage.  In scripture Christ describes the temple as being his body of believers (Eph. 2:13-22).  So when applied to this song, the image is of his body being divided and in need of rebuilding.

From this low point, hope is offered: 

"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between / And the circling is worth it.  Finding beauty in the dissonance. There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away / Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting / I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing / Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication.
Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion.
between supposed lovers between supposed brothers. (I know the pieces fit. 8x)!"

It is appropriate to note here, that the heads of both parties (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) have pursued active reconciliation in just the last two years, after centuries of viewing one another as apostate.  This could have massive ramifications for the future of the church if these two monoliths were able to partner together in mission for the good of the world. 

Application

Well the question remains for all of us, what Schisms might there be between ourselves and others?  What places in our marriages, in our families, with our friends, co-workers, or neighbors have the pieces fallen apart from our relational temple.  I know for certain that the modern Church in American is going through much of this "fundamental differing" within itself.  I continue to hear story after story of churches suffering through division within the Body.  I know that there has been much deconstruction of "the temple," that has taken place in the US since the mid-60's, both from within the Church, as well as from those who have pursued other means of living the Christian faith.  

While this deconstruction is continuing to occur, there are also those pursuing the "squaring off between, and the circling" of how to follow Christ in the 21st Century, because it, "is worth it."  One of these leaders is Brian McLaren and others at Emergent Village.  Their work is an attempt at, "finding beauty in the dissonance," not only between Catholic and Orthodox, but between Catholic and Protestant, and Liberal and Fundamentalist.  McLaren is actively pursuing this, not just because it generates phenomenal book sales, but also because he and others know that,"There was a time when the pieces fit," but that those pieces are now, "Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting."   In his work a Generous Orthodoxy, he attempts to identify the positives within varying perspectives of the Church.  Though there are certainly points at which he drifts into mushy logic and self-contradiction, there is at least a dialogue being had. 

Conclusion

For me, "I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing, doomed to crumble unless we grow and strengthen our communication."  For us all, it is crucial that regardless of our differing opinions and perspectives, we must never allow ourselves to drift into, "Cold, cold, cold, cold silence," because it, "has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion, between two lovers, between two brothers."   As we inside and outside the Body of Christ continue to share life on this planet, it is crucial that we continue to remain in conversation and attempt to mend any schism that might exist between us.