endured from his past – reeking havoc on those in his present. The album takes a pleasant but very unexpected turn at the end.

“Salvation” is the last track on the album. It brings the character (later revealed as Steven – a common pawn in Cooper’s stories) to an unanticipated place. I believe the song was meant to be a dialogue between him and God. In some ways, it reminds me of the conversation between the thief and Christ as they both hung on their crosses. In Luke 23:40-43, all the thief had to do was accept the fact that Christ was who he said he was. Asking for Christ to remember him, Jesus replies, “Truly I telly you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Absolutely incrediblehe’s dragged out of the city and stoned to death. The verses do not name any of the parties involved except Saul. While he did not participate in the murder of Stephen, he witnessed and supported it. In fact, Saul launched a full scale assault on Christians after the death of Stephen. He literally vowed to destroy Christianity through the persecution of Christians and, if need be, their deaths.

In Acts 9, Saul has gone to the high priest seeking permission to travel abroad, capturing men and women who profess to follow Christ, and imprisoning them as he traveled. With their permission, he set out for Damascus – ready to end Christianity once and for all. However on the road, he encounters Christ in full radiance.

Blinded by this encounter