Hi, I’m Andrew Thoreen, and I’m excited to share the heart behind my latest single, "A Mirror Dimly". This song is deeply personal, a blend of my experiences and reflections on Christian apologetics, forgiveness, and the hope of knowing God fully someday. Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:12, it’s a song that speaks to the journey from doubt to faith, with a message I hope resonates with everyone—whether you’re a believer in Christ or still searching for answers.
What Inspired Me to Write “A Mirror Dimly”
Experiencing regeneration and being “born again” as Christian in 2020 changed everything for me. When I was about 15, I became agnostic, filled with questions about Christianity and faith that I couldn’t seem to answer. Instead of looking honestly for answers, I was affected by my own confirmation bias and surrounded myself with people and media that affirmed my skepticism. So I left the church in high school for around 15 years, feeling that Christian culture and music was too rigid and not open to the kind of artistic experimentation I wanted to pursue.
Fast forward to my return to faith. I wanted to create a song that my younger, skeptical self might actually listen to—something that would not only make a case for God’s existence, but would also show how faith is meaningful. Christian indie music culture doesn’t appear to be widely known for themes of cosmology or self-deception, so I hoped to present these perspectives in this song. In writing “A Mirror Dimly,” I had to distill down some of my reasons for believing in God into a simple lyrical format and also introduce these philosophical and theological concepts that grounded my faith.
The Meaning Behind the Song: Cosmology and self-deception
At the core, A Mirror Dimly reflects on ideas drawn from Christian apologetics. I believe there are very compelling arguments for God’s existence, and one of the strongest for me is the Cosmological argument. It seems that scientific study and observation confirms that the universe had a beginning which set it into motion. Christianity, as well as other religions, claim that God caused the universe to come into being, and this observable reality is confirmed by our study of the cosmos. The universe points to a Creator. In the Bible this is described as creation ex nihilo—that God created everything from nothing as stated in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Another theme in the song is self-deception. We live in a time where our society seems to be drawn towards expressive individualism, where the message seems to be “I am what I feel.” The idea of looking internally for life's answers to our problems is also a theme I see often in our world today. In my life, I’ve experienced how my own feelings deceived me and led me down a path that was not good for me. It seems rare to find this theme in Christian songs or even secular indie music. So, to bring more attention to these themes, I put this song together to remind listeners to be cautious with self-reliance and challenge them that our true reliance should be on the Creator of the universe who has an intended purpose for us. Feelings aren’t always trustworthy, and real freedom comes from a truth that is outside of ourselves.
Why 1 Corinthians 13:12 Inspired “A Mirror Dimly”
The passage from 1 Corinthians 13:12—seeing “through a mirror dimly”—means a lot to me. It gives voice to both our desire to know God fully and the fact that, in this life, some things will remain mysteries. Paul, who was profoundly used by God, still says that there are things he doesn’t fully understand. This humility inspires me as a Christian and encourages me to embrace the mysteries of faith when I don’t fully understand. In the song I added the word “reflected” to this–not to add anything theologically to this passage, but rather so that it worked better as a singable phrase.
In today’s world, it seems that everyone claims to know a settled truth about reality, whether they believe in God or not. But 1 Corinthians 13 is a reminder that faith sometimes requires us to accept that we don’t have all the answers. This song isn’t about knowing everything but about recognizing that hope and trust in God makes the unknown less daunting.
How Christian Theology Shapes My Music
I didn’t start out intentionally weaving Christian theology and philosophy into my music, but I like to think it was always there in some way. Before I was a Christian, I was agnostic at worst and notionally Christian at best. I wanted my music to heal and help people, avoiding themes that made listeners feel angry or lost, but didn’t want to cross the line to discuss God or religious beliefs. As I began to study the Bible and really learn about the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, it changed my view after seeing the fruit in my life. Now I have a conviction to share that good news with people and want to do that through the art I make. I want my work to glorify God, to highlight what’s beautiful, and to share the joy of living in relationship with Christ.
An example of that work that is seeking to glorify God is Alaylon. I started Alaylon as a Christian art-song project with my wife, where we set Scripture and other Christian texts to music. “A Mirror Dimly” is related to that project in that it also sets Scripture to music, but it also introduces and addresses some of these apologetic concepts into the song. I hope that it is something that both non-religious and religious listeners alike can relate to.
The song isn’t a full defense of faith but rather a reflection on my journey—something I hope will inspire others to ask questions or look deeper into Christianity.
The Creative Process Behind “A Mirror Dimly”
Writing A Mirror Dimly was a long process. I began during the COVID lockdowns, and the song went through a number of different versions before it felt right. I wanted to address both the idea of a Creator and the nature of self-deception in a way that was honest to my experience.
After some time, the song evolved into what it is now. I took a week off of work and set up a home studio to fully focus on recording. The lyrics and chords were already figured out, so I spent the week writing and recording all of the parts on the song: guitars, bass, piano, drums, and vocals. The song was then mixed by Brett Bullion and mastered by Huntley Miller, who both helped bring it to life. .
Balancing (Christian) Theology with Artistic Expression
The biggest challenge with “A Mirror Dimly” was finding a way to express such a big concept—our relationship with God—in so few words. Christian songs about themes like forgiveness and gratitude often get more airtime, but this needed to be more concise. It was especially challenging to connect the 1 Corinthians passage perfectly with the song’s verses. You have to fill in the gaps yourself, but I believe it worked in the end. The song is an invitation, not a comprehensive explanation, to consider the big questions of faith.
A Final Thought on Faith and Christianity
If “A Mirror Dimly” speaks to anything, it’s that how we view reality is essential to who we are. In a world that says we can only find truth only within ourselves, I hope this song encourages listeners to look beyond—to the Creator who loves us and to the faith that fills the gaps in our understanding. It’s a humble reminder, inspired by 1 Corinthians 13, that while we might not see clearly now, there’s hope in knowing that one day, we will.
Andrew Thoreen
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