Rich Mullins -- 10 Years Later

[ClosetOtaku]

Ten years ago Wednesday, Rich Mullins went to be with the Lord. His sudden passing caught me and many others by surprise. To this day, he remains by far my favorite Christian artist with no peer (although talents like Andrew Peterson and Sarah Groves have come closer than many others).

Only a few artists like Rich could have the authenticity and audacity to write something as confrontational and heartfelt as Hard to Get:

Do you remember when you lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did you forget about us after you had flown away?
Well I memorized every word you said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While you're up there just playing hard to get

Yet could come back in the same recording session, just as heartfelt and in worship, with:

Nothing is beyond You
You stand beyond the reach
Of my vain imagination
My misguided piety
The heavens stretch to hold You
And deep cries out to deep
Saying nothing is beyond You
Nothing is beyond You

Time cannot contain You
You fill eternity
Sin can never stain You
Death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love me
Except to say that nothing is beyond You
Nothing is beyond You

To this day, my favorite lyrics are from his The Love of God:

There's a wideness in God's mercy
I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning
To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God...

Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I'm tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

And, if you have any question as to where he stood in his beliefs, ask yourself how many Christian artists (especially crossover ones) would go out on a limb with this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHWoDwxyKUE

RIP, Rich. In a world full of imitations, pretenders, and phonies, you were the genuine article.