Under the Weight of Wrath: Building Foundations in a House of Cards
This is my seventh post addressing the seven deadly sins. I was inspired to take this journey of learning by the great band, Deadlands. The lyrics that Kasey Karlsen wrote for each of the sins are amazing. In this last song, “House of Cards”, dealing with the deadly sin of wrath, I also have to give a shout out to CJ Arey, who writes the music. When I listen to the notes, I actually hear wrath. When I listen to the song and study the lyrics, I hear a focus is on the fragile nature of constructed facades and the importance of authenticity and resilience. It emphasizes vulnerability and the fleeting stability of appearances. If you think about it, wrath makes us very fragile – probably why it is one of the seven deadly sins.
The themes of anger or frustration come through loud and clear as part of the broader idea that superficial structures can easily break down when faced with intense emotions. When I think about the fragile structure of a house of cards that is insubstantial or easily destroyed, I am drawn to the phrase in the song, “I see right through your paper soul (paper soul)”. To me this suggests that Kasey and CJ perceive the villain in the song as being superficial, fragile, or insubstantial—like a paper soul. It implies that beneath their exterior, there’s a lack of genuine depth or authenticity, and that their emotional or spiritual core is easily torn or broken. The repetition of “paper soul” emphasizes its fragility, highlighting that what might appear to be something substantial isn’t truly resilient or real. Thus, if we operate like that we are like the metaphorical house of cards and easily destroyed. Overall, it’s an incredibly poetic way of expressing that a person’s true self or inner essence is transparent and potentially fragile.
The metaphor of a house of cards so beautifully relates to wrath. Wrath, like a house of cards, can appear controlled and manageable on the surface, but underneath, it’s fragile and easily toppled. When we become filled with intense anger, their emotional stability may rest on delicate foundations—just like a carefully balanced stack of cards. A slight provocation or unexpected event can cause it to collapse suddenly, revealing how volatile and unstable wrath truly is. This metaphor highlights the potential for destruction and the importance of managing anger before it causes everything to come crashing down.
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