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Through it all, Dylan admits his own failures. At the beginning of the album he tells us that he's "already confessed, no need to confess again," yet in the same song he admits that he "ain't no angel," and even reveals his own fallen perspective: "shame on your greed, shame on your wicked misdeeds / I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your needs." In the epic "Ain't Talkin'" he's more apologetic: "I'm a-tryin' to love my neighbor and do good unto others / but oh, mother, things ain't going well."

He's a fallen pilgrim trying to make it through a fallen world—he's "walkin' through the cities of the plague." There's "no altars on this long and lonesome road," and the forces of darkness lie in wait, seeking to "crush you with wealth and power." And all the while, Dylan can't stop "thinkin' bout that gal [he] left behind." It's the same story he's been telling us for forty years, rendered here in the rich language of the blues—as he sang on Time Out of Mind, "it's not dark yet, but it's getting there." For the faithful, though, there's still one light shining in the night sky, and it's enough to make the journey bearable. Dylan reminds us of this beacon in "Thunder on the Mountain," and it's enough to carry us through the rest of the album: "Some sweet day," he vows, "I'll stand beside my king."

Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author's. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here

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