The most unforgettable moments in listening to music are when you come across something – an idea, a way of looking at the world, a prayer, a feeling – which expresses what you have always longed to say. The song “Two Hands” by Jars of Clay is one such piece of music. Its lyrics beautifully convey the idea that if there’s one thing our hands should do, it is to praise God. We need to lift our hands to give glory to God. And we need to use our two hands to help others.

Jars of Clay is an American Christian rock band. It consists of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars. “Two Hands” is from their 2009 album called “The Long Fall Back to Earth”.

Two Hands
by Jars of Clay

I’ve been living out of sanity
I’ve been splitting hairs and blurring lines
I am a house that is divided
In my heart and in my mind

I use one hand to pull you closer
The other to push you away
If I had two hands doing the same thing
Lifted high, lifted high

I have a broken disposition
I’m a liar who thirsts for the truth
And while I ache for faith to hold me
I need to feel the scars and see the proof

And if we just keep digging
We can reach the foundation of our souls
And if we just keep cutting all the chains from our hearts
We’ll lose control

And it feels like giving in
It feels like starting over
It feels like waking up, and you know it’s coming
It feels like a brand new day
Open your eyes