That Guy

My wife found a really cool new (to us) musician named Andy Gullahorn. I know not all of you may like folk music, but this guy is an amazing lyricist. He can pull you into his story whether the song is meant to be funny, like More of a Man a song about how he now is a father and husband who watches Dora the Explorer, The Gilmore Girls and his cholesterol, when in his youth he went hunting, bucked hay, and ate chicken fried steak, or when he is singing about how much he loves his wife (Give it Time).

He then changes it up and sings about losing a child at birth in How Precious Life Is. He is a father of 3, and many of his songs speak to me as a father - simple lyrics, but they tell truth, and a truth that cuts to the heart.

In Holy Ground he sings about a group of homeless men and women that begin to sleep in an abandoned church (reminiscent of the story Shane Claiborne tells of St. Edwards in Philly). When the priest comes to kick them out, he is won over by their love, and understands that the church is a place for the poor, the broken -- the priest decides to stay with them.

Probably the most impacting lyrics come from the song That Guy. This song gives me a better understanding of God - seriously! I didn't know a song could do that, but I can't do it justice, so listen to it yourself:

That Guy by Andy Gullahorn

He scoped out the market
All the women and kids
With so many distractions
Nobody noticed him
Nobody noticed him
He had a jacket a size too big
A skullcap on his head
And a couple of homemade bombs
He duct taped them to his chest
He taped them to his chest

God loves that guy
God loves that guy

He followed his heart
To a co-worker’s bed
He could have salvaged his marriage with kids
But he chose to leave instead
He chose to leave
He thought it was love
But it was just a mirage
So he sits in his idling car
Parked in a closed garage
Inside a closed garage

God loves that guy
God loves that guy

Me on the other hand I can write somebody off
Like the last check for a student loan
I can love when it’s convenient
But it’s not always convenient
It’s not always the easy road
I want to look past the outside to the well-meaning heart
To the good they forgot that they had
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that

He messed up again
Wanted to disappear
But he can’t ‘cause he’s easy to find
I see him in the mirror
I see him in the mirror

God loves that guy
God loves that guy
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that
Love like that

I don't know if any of you have ever experienced this, but this is more than just worship music, I feel like I am closer to God when I listen and internalize these words. I feel like I can be a better father, a better husband, like I understand some deeper truth when I listen. I know, that might sound far fetched, but I hear the Lord speak to me nearly every time I listen to his words.