So, it's finally happened! My dreams since I was a kid are finally coming to fruition! I am in a rock band! The name of the band is Reality Calls!
Right now, we're mostly doing covers of songs by other bands, although we do have one original, and several more in the works.
Reality Calls is a christian band, but I don't see us being a christian band like Michael W. Smith is a christian artist. I see us being a christian band more like Anberlin, or Lifehouse is a christian band. That is, that you can tell by their lyrics and the members that all the individuals are christians, but we don't necessarily come out and say "we are a christian band".
That being said, I don't want the fact that we don't announce our Christianity, be an excuse to not live holy lives. Now, I'm not saying we have to be perfect, but as individuals, and as a group, holding each other accountable, we should strive to be Christ-like, as we are called to be in scripture. At shows and other places, how we act and carry ourselves, will have just as an impactful testimony to what we say on stage. The two, actions off-stage and verbal announcments on-stage, should complement and reinforce each other.
I see Reality Calls as being modern day Psalm writers. People I've talked to have already heard this little speach, but I would like to write it down again. If you read through the book of Psalms in the Bible, it is like reading through King David's (and any and all other authors of the 150 chapter book!) personal journal. There are some passages that praise God and lift Him up and worship Him for all around to see. At the same time, there are other passages that question His goodness, His intentions, His love for the writer, and the nation of Isreal as a whole. I want show's, and eventually (hopefully) albums to express that! I want people to leave gigs, be them at bars, churches, or someplace in between, thinking "that band is a band of Christians, being a Christian is not always easy, but God loves them, He loves me, and it's worth it!" I want our music, our shows, ourselves, and our message to be a ray of hope to people who feel like they have none, and to those who do have the hope we speak of, I want it to be an encouragement for those people to share that hope as well.
Within ourselves, I would love it if we all became best friends. That we held each other accountable to living biblically, that we can discuss questions, and be real to each other. Then when we get together and hang out, we all know that it's a safe place to be ourselves. That everyone will be accepted, and not judged, but at the same time, that they will be pushed to be better. And by better, I mean, more like Christ.
These might all be some lofty ideals, but I don't think they are bad things to strive for.
