(Posted on Facebook 2/21/15)
David, Gracen and I watched Ragamuffin, the Rich Mullins movie on Netflix last night. For those who aren’t familiar with Rich Mullins, he was a contemporary Christian music artist popular on the 80’s and 90’s. He was probably best known for his hit “Awesome God” and I learned tonight that he wrote “Doubly Good” which was performed by Amy Grant and just happens to be one of the songs David and I chose for our own wedding.
The Rich Mullins movie is not an easy movie to watch as it is a story of a man desperately seeking his place in this world. His life story is a struggle with brokenness while striving to live an authentic Christian life. The music and lyrics Rich Mullins is best known for – music that has greatly glorified God – arose from the most difficult and painful experiences and choices in this artist’s life. Ugly moments lead to profound comments about the church, faith, the gospel and God’s love for people. I found it to be a beautiful and moving portrayal of how God reveals spiritual truths to a believer while bringing glory to His name in the midst of their brokenness.
But don’t take my word for it. Here’s a quote I found on the net about Rich Mullins that deeply resonated with me: “Rich Mullins is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever known. Interesting because he was honest — not perfect. He made you feel like Jesus was part of the band, telling stories around the fire, laughing with you at the bar. He made you feel like you could own your darkness and be honest with your doubts. He knew that inside each of us there is a sinner and a saint at war, and on good days the saint prevails, and on bad days –Jesus loves sinners. He was as winsome as a kid and as wise as a chief. This film captures the life of one of the most important people in the history of modern evangelicalism, a ragamuffin that our children and our grandchildren need to know about.” – Shane Claiborne, author and founder of The Simple Way.
Boxx Banter 