Rich Mullins

here's a great article on Rich Mullins, who died unexpectedly 10 years ago. Rich lived justice before it became the next big thing. these thoughts are well put.


some favorite quotes (and my addendums):

"His typical concert uniform was jeans (with holes in the knees) and a t-shirt. No shoes. No socks. In fact, he was known for sneaking onto the stage before being introduced, because the glowing introductions always made him uncomfortable."
-i actually had the chance to see Rich in concert before he died, and this was absolutely true.
-i wish i was more uncomfortable with glowing introductions. i know i'm supposed to be humble and thus uncomfortable with them, but instead i rather enjoy them. pride...ugh.

"He didn’t know what his music and career were worth, and didn’t want to know."

"And when a sheltered Southern Baptist boy starts reading Catholics and Anglicans and other suspicious thinkers, the Gospel gets a whole lot bigger."
-some of the biggest things I've come to understand about God rest far away from the right-wing conservative evangelical upbringing I had. surely some really good things came from that, too, but much of what has shaped me is from "suspicious thinkers."

"He grew up Quaker."
- : )

"We were strangers, but I feel like we were companions during a very formative time in my life."

One thing not particularly highlighted in the article that struck me about Rich was his authentic voice. only Rich, it seems, could write "Awesome God", while at the same time penning lyrics to "Hold Me, Jesus" that include "sometime life just don't make sense at all" or to "Hard To Get" which is possibly the most honest song/psalm since David stopped writing.

sometimes i like to think that he went out just the way that he wanted to...

"when i leave, i want to go out like Elijah,
with a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
and when i look back on the stars
it'll be like a candlelight in Central Park
and it won't break my heart to say goodbye"

me too, Rich. me too.