note:
2 Corinthians 4:7-11,16
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The word “dying” in the song “Dig Here Said The Angel” is used to indicate three conditions:
1) A slow progressive physical breakdown (from the moment of birth we are, in a sense, “dying” a little every day)
2) Dying to one’s self (as in “I die daily”) and
3) Dying in the sense of yearning (a longing to be eternally present with the Beloved). In the vision being described, the instruction of the angel is to “dig” deeper into the physical, spiritual, intellectual, and imaginative aspects of our being and, in so doing, go deeper into the truth of what St, Paul describes as “this treasure in earthen vessels” i.e. “we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” We, like Paul, are “dying daily,” yet daily we are being renewed; especially under our present conditions, we can find great encouragement and comfort in the truth of this paradox.
lyrics
"Dig here," said the angel
I asked "My heart? Or my grave?"
"Maybe both," said the angel, "things can go either way."
"There'll come a time," said the angel,
"you'll lose that wrinkled suit of skin.
And when you walk up to the big door you can go right on in."
I cried then,
I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
Night and day
I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
To see your beautiful face
"Here's the catch," said the angel
"You're gonna suffer for awhile"
"I'll tell you straight," said the angel
"Don't plan to go out in style"
And meanwhile
I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
Night and day
I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
To see your beautiful face
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