Last month the guy on the right in the photo above rolled into Morgantown for a concert. His name is Justin McRoberts. I first heard Justin's music when I bought his CD on a whim at a bookstore in Frederick Maryland called The Shepherd's Table. His voice was rich and robust, his guitar was simple and yet a perfect complement to his voice. His lyrics were very straghtforward, but there was something about his voice singing his lyrics that communicated passion, honesty, and a vulnerability I have rarely experienced.
I was going through a lot when I picked up Justin's first CD, and his music was a gift from God for me. I don't like to categorize music in this way, because all music is an opportunity to reflect the beauty of the Creator as we engage in the creative endeavor ourselves. Justin's words were simple yet true, and I found myself hijacking his lyrics and making them my own personal outpourings of prayer to God. Many times I would find myself in tears while singing the songs Reason for Living (which is also the name of the album) and Galatians 2:20.
It was great being able to connect with Justin in sozo of all places. Judging by the lyrics of some of the songs from his latest album (which I purchased that night), we are once again thinking in a similar vein about how to live this life of faith to bring God the most glory.
One other thing, Justin and I were able to talk about my recent endeavor of my friends Jake and John to do holistic sustainable development among the world's rural extreme poor. Justin does some similar work to promote another non-profit, and it was just cool to talk about our generation's desire to live out our calling in such a way as to transform some of the ugliness in this world into beauty.
If you get a chance, you should definitely check out justin's music, or catch him in concert somewhere. He's a talented musician, and it's evident after spending some time with him that his desire is to both sing and live from the heart.
What would happen if we all strived toward that a little more?
I was going through a lot when I picked up Justin's first CD, and his music was a gift from God for me. I don't like to categorize music in this way, because all music is an opportunity to reflect the beauty of the Creator as we engage in the creative endeavor ourselves. Justin's words were simple yet true, and I found myself hijacking his lyrics and making them my own personal outpourings of prayer to God. Many times I would find myself in tears while singing the songs Reason for Living (which is also the name of the album) and Galatians 2:20.
It was great being able to connect with Justin in sozo of all places. Judging by the lyrics of some of the songs from his latest album (which I purchased that night), we are once again thinking in a similar vein about how to live this life of faith to bring God the most glory.
One other thing, Justin and I were able to talk about my recent endeavor of my friends Jake and John to do holistic sustainable development among the world's rural extreme poor. Justin does some similar work to promote another non-profit, and it was just cool to talk about our generation's desire to live out our calling in such a way as to transform some of the ugliness in this world into beauty.
If you get a chance, you should definitely check out justin's music, or catch him in concert somewhere. He's a talented musician, and it's evident after spending some time with him that his desire is to both sing and live from the heart.
What would happen if we all strived toward that a little more?
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