I thought I would write another Christian Creative, and thought I would finally tackle one of my favorite, but if we are being honest, one of the most challenging artists for me to listen to for a few reasons.
So that being said, let’s talk about Gungor.
Note: This post is one of a series on creativity in Christian music. If you haven’t yet, check out “The Problem with Christian Music,” which started the series, or click here to read about previous artists.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: the faith of Michael and Lisa Gungor.
As I mentioned in my post about Kanye’s Jesus is King album, the faith of Michael and Lisa Gungor is, to say the least, a little bit of an unknown.
The two halves of the musical duo are a puzzle, to say the least. Michael has apparently walked away from the faith completely and became an atheist. He says he has “rediscovered spirituality through philosophy and mysticism,” on the website for The Liturgists, a podcast/collective he co-leads with Mike McHargue. Lisa has had struggles with the faith and hasn’t quite said where she falls on the faith spectrum. But my view of the band Gungor is the same argument that I made in my Kanye post: the individual faith of the person singing the song does not affect the truth of the lyrics being sung. An atheist saying the words “Jesus is King” doesn’t make the statement any less true. I believe the same principle applies to Gungor’s music.
While it pains me to see anyone walk away from the faith, I still faithfully listen to and enjoy music by Gungor. I will admit that I haven’t listened as faithfully to the more recent albums by Gungor as I have their early albums, so the majority of this post will be focused on the first half of their discography.
So now that we’ve gone over all that, let’s talk about the music.
I started listening to Gungor in 2010 when they released their album Beautiful Things. I was floored by their beautiful and haunting lyrics that they were able to write. The way that they wove their faith into the music was beautifully done and written, and it greatly influenced my music influences, stylings, and practices. Their liberal use of unconventional instruments, as well as their provocative lyrics and willingness to ask difficult questions in the midst of their songs.
Gungor is most well known for their song “Beautiful Things”, which exploded across the Contemporary Christian Music stage in the first few years of the 2010s, becoming a mainstay on Christian radio stations. Let’s take a look at the lyrics.
All this pain I wonder if I'll ever find my way I wonder if my life could really change, at all All this earth Could all that is lost ever be found? Could a garden come out from this ground, at all? You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of the dust You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us All around, Hope is springing up from this old ground Out of chaos life is being found, in you
The refrain of a beautiful thing being formed out of the dust, and out of us is itself a beautiful reminder of who our identity is found in. It was this song that drew me into listening to more of their music.
One of their songs that has recently become more and more of a favorite of mine is the song “Please Be My Strength”. Michael Gungor’s voice quietly pleading for help while being backed with the quiet nylon-string guitar makes the song cut deeper than had it been performed any other way.
[Verse 1] I've tried to stand my ground I've tried to understand But I can't seem to find My faith again Like water on the sand Or grasping at the wind I keep on falling short [Chorus 1] So please be my strength Please be my strength I don't have any more I don't have any more [Verse 2] I'm looking for a place Where I can plant my faith One thing I know for sure I cannot create it And I cannot sustain it It's your love That's keeping me
How often have we felt like our faith is grasping at the wind of Ecclesiastes, or like a drop of water disappearing into the sand? But in the midst of the doubt and confusion, the song ends with a prayer, as our lives should be:
[Verse 3] And at my final breath I hope that I can say I fought the good fight Of faith I pray your glory shine In this doubting heart of mine And all, all would know that you [Chorus 2] You are my strength You are my strength You and you alone You keep bringing me back home Oh oh You are my strength You are my strength You and you alone You keep bringing me back home
Or look at their song “When Death Dies”…
Where it comes flowers grow Lions sleep, gravestones roll Where death dies all things live Where it comes poor men feast Kings fall down to their knees When death dies all things live All things live Where it comes flowers grow Lions sleep, gravestones roll Where death dies all things come alive Where it comes water’s clean Children fed All believe When death dies all things live All things live
What an awesome way to phrase the future hope that we have in Jesus and the messages that are portrayed in books like Ezekiel or Revelation.
There’s one more point I wanted to make – their whole album Ghosts Upon the Earth is one giant concept/narrative album. The entire album tells a story – the story of the Bible. The story of creation, from the beginning of time and the creation of light (“Let There Be“, “Brother Moon“) and humanity (“Crags and Clay“), through the introduction of sin into the world (“The Fall“), through the story of redemption and the future hope to come (“This Is Not the End“).
Gungor is a band that, despite their present standings with faith and with the church, I continue to return to their music and their immensely heart-wrenching and provocative lyrics. And while I lament their current standings with faith and pray for their return to the faith, I still think that there is Truth within their lyrics. In the words of St. Augustine, “All truth is God’s truth,” and so I believe that the truth of the words within the lyrics are just as true now as when they were written.
If you are interested in listening to more of Gungor, here’s a starter of my top picks for you.
I hope you enjoy listening to Gungor and can pull as much meaning out of their works as I do. While I can’t speak for the spirituality of their newer music, I can absolutely speak for (and hope that I’ve demonstrated) the spirituality and depths that their songs speak to.
Check out their Spotify, their Youtube channel, or their website. Their website holds some interesting writings to gain a perspective on Michael Gungor’s life. Additionally, take a look at The Liturgists Podcast, which Michael co-hosts. It holds an interesting window into the current faith/mysticism of Michael Gungor and co. While I may not agree with all that they say, it is important to read to understand whenever possible.
Happy listening, folks.
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