Wisdom from a Rock Band

In the end...you will look back and know that you took the risk, you stepped out in faith. And you know what? You actually did something that mattered, even if it was only to a few people.

-Andrew Schwab

A week or two ago, I finished reading a book I have on loan called It's All Downhill From Here by Andrew Schwab, who is the lead singer of Project 86. I finished reading it while sitting in Black 'n Brew coffee shop drinking a vanilla soy latte. I was sad to end the book, for it had been my entertainment each day on my lunch break. Every time I read it, I found myself chuckling out loud at the humorous stories. People around me probably thought I was a little crazy. Normally I take a walk down to the lake to read, but on this day, it looked like it was going to rain at any moment. The grayness hovered, prepped for drizzle, and sure enough it started raining as I walked back to the office.

For a rock band guy, Andrew has very thoughtful insight and his stories expose his good morals. He is a talented writer, with a particular forte for storytelling. Being able to tell stories well (and in an interesting way) is really tough, so I admire someone who keeps me on the edge of my seat. I keep reading because I want to know what happens next! He writes about his crazy band mates and their life on the road. It seemed like misfortune followed them, including many encounters with police and random people along the way. But in a frustrating situation, where items were stolen from Andrew and he caught the culprit and was given the chance to press charges, this is what he wrote:

Then I hear that same voice in my head...you know, the one that reminds you of all the shady, dishonest things in your own heart? No, not now. Go away. I don't need to hear any of that right now. I seriously just want to let my anger well up in me. I want to bathe in it. No. That voice keeps reminding me that I am no better. That mercy triumphs over judgement.  

How many of us would do that? Showing mercy when someone commits an offense against us? But isn't that a way of loving thy neighbor, even when they are unlovable?

He has a way of writing that is honest and open, with many pieces of crazy mixed in (just think about the possibilities of a rock band traveling together- all boys). Nobody is perfect, and he shared his imperfections but he also showed how sometimes it's through those imperfections that we truly experience something that changes us for the better. It shakes us awake to live for God, rather than dozing off in our own complacency. A reminder that our talents are to be used for good, even if it only touches a few people (I think they have touched more than a few people, though).