Postdiluvian (adjective): of or relating to the period after the flood described in the Bible.
The biblical story of The Great Flood is one of the most widely known, in which God decides to flood the Earth, killing all living things except for the animals and family aboard Noah’s Ark, because He believed the world had become corrupt beyond repair. The Firnats, a rock ‘n roll band based in Virginia, take on the implications of a creator destroying his creations in their impassioned song, “Postdiluvian.”
“Maybe one day I can be
a casualty of empathy”
In the Bible, one of the hallmarks of God’s disposition is empathy. He has compassion for humans, is empathetic towards their struggles and shortcomings. Yet, in the flood, He wipes out humanity. All of His followers become casualties of his empathy, or lack thereof. This begs the question- is ending up another casualty of this divine empathy the most a follower can hope for from their faith?
“Postdiluvian, don’t ask me for a thing”
After witnessing the destruction God can cause, this follower no longer feels they owe Him anything, and warns against Him even asking. Though it’s a short line, we can see the betrayal, anger, and even fear the speaker may be feeling. At the very least, we know their connection with God has been severed.
“Four corner dwelling
Where trust was fostered”
We see how deep the betrayal goes in the reference to a “four corner dwelling:” Earth itself. Over all four corners of the Earth, people trusted in God, followed Him, and had faith in Him. Still, He believed corruption and violence to be too great to reciprocate that faith in humanity.
“Homoiousian but the devil makes three”
Homoiousian (noun): a person who believes that God the Father and God the Son are separate entities. Some believers tend to think of God and Jesus as the same deity in different forms. A homoiousian sees them more as two similar, but separate, beings. This song doesn’t adhere to either of these viewpoints, though, instead alluding to the devil being not God’s enemy, but another component of God Himself. The destruction of His creations when He is not satisfied, His betrayal of humanity once they strayed from His idea of good, could certainly be argued as a devilish act.
“I’m running
I’m running
I’m running as fast as I can”
These three lines are repeated twelve times throughout the song. Just as 666 represents the Devil, 12/12/12 is thought of as the perfect number, representing God and heaven. Additionally, there are twelve disciples. If including these lines twelve times was planned, then it’s safe to say The Firnats aimed to create not just a song, but a piece of art. Something you can find layer after layer in, and still not tire of looking.
These lines, accompanied by persistent drums and a driving guitar, induce a sense of panic, the very feeling of running. Whether the speaker is running away from their abandoned and broken faith or from the wrath of God Himself, you can be sure they are desperate to get as far as they can.
