Life, Death and TobyMac

What I learned at a Christian concert

If you want to create division in a church just bring up the topic of contemporary Christian music. I've found there are strong opinions both for and against it. One Christian artist that I really like is TobyMac. As a somewhat reserved, sixty-one year old elder in a Reformed church that may come as a surprise, but what can I say? I guess it's my inner Jesus Freak working it's way to the surface. My daughter bought me two tickets to one of his concerts as a Christmas gift and that's how the two of us ended up at Hertz arena in Estero, Florida on the evening of February 1st.

Toby did not disappoint. I've never been to one of his concerts and the energy and music was truly remarkable, but this isn't a review of the concert. I want to focus on something that he said while talking to the sold out crowd in between songs.

If you're not aware, he lost his twenty-one year old son in 2019. He shared what that was like and, being a father myself, I found myself transfixed by his words. He explained how hard it was and how in the midst of his pain he cried out, “God, I’m going to give you a chance.”

Don't see his words and get all judgmental. He didn't mean it in a disrespectful, arrogant or unbelieving way. At that point in his Christian walk he was a broken man crying out to the God of the universe because he knew that was the only place to find true comfort and healing. Toby did what every one of us should do when faced with an unbearable situation, turn to God.

He admits that writing music was something that helped him get through that terrible time and, no doubt, losing his son has changed the depth and meaning of his songs. One of the first songs he wrote after his son’s death was Faithfully. I’ll put a link to the YouTube video below, but one line of it goes like this:

“But when my world broke into pieces you were there faithfully…”

The whole song is raw emotion, but that line says it all about our Savior. When our world breaks into pieces he will be there… faithfully. We can count on that. He doesn’t leave us in times of trouble. If anything, we leave him.

I’ve never met TobyMac and probably never will, but as I sat in the audience with my daughter in the seat beside me I couldn’t help but feel some of his pain over losing a child. He reminded me once again just how temporary this life is and how we should savor every moment we have with our loved ones. Somehow, through his sorrow I was blessed.

Watch the lyric video for the song FAITHFULLY from the album LIFE AFTER DEATH.