Leonard Cohen wrote: "There is a crack in everything....." (x-posted from religion) [View all]

Leonard Cohen wrote: "There is a crack in everything....."
From the Leonard Cohen song, Anthem:

There is a crack in everything (there is a crack in everything)
That's how the light gets in

What does this have to do with religion?

Consider the concept called “original sin”. Many Christians believe that humans are born with sin as a result of being descended from Adam. Jesus said nothing about this idea, nor is it directly spoken of in the Bible, but the idea is very popular and has been much discussed among theologians.

But if we consider the fact that humans are not perfect, and that nothing in creation is perfect, (“There is a crack in everything”), original sin can be seen as an acknowledgment of this inherent and inevitable human imperfection.

As to the second line, “That’s how the light gets in”, I see that light as the realization of the Creator’s existence, and the first step on the path of enlightenment. We must admit our imperfection, and we must work to perfect what is cracked.

Others may read the lines differently. Leonard Cohen himself was a Jew who also became a Buddhist monk, but speaking of his maternal religion, he said: "I’m not looking for a new religion. I’m quite happy with the old one, with Judaism".