life. It has moments that burn, hurt, and are hard to swallow. It has moments of bittersweetness were we have to make hard decisions that hurt but we know are right. Then it has amazing moments of authentic passion, love, and joy and those my friends are the moments that make it all worth it. Though I'm starting to finally find God in all these moments. He has been persistent through it all and given me the strength to go on. I came across this little article written about Aaron Gallispie. For those of you who don't know who that is he's the drummer of Underoath and the man behind The Almost. Anyway, i'm not saying Aaron is one of my heroes or anything but i do respect the man for his character in Christ. He is what real Christianity looks like. Heres the exert, i find it to be quite moving. It was written by Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms. Check it:
I never knew Johnny Cash, and I haven’t met Bono, but I wonder if Aaron Gillespie might be cut from the same mold. Raw and real. Anxious and honest. Enormous talent, inside a life that points to redemption and grace.
My friendship with Aaron can be traced back to a dead video camera battery and an evening in Detroit on last summer’s “Warped Tour.” I had heard whispers of Aaron’s story, and I decided the best way to hear it would be to schedule some time with the man himself.
Aaron and I sat outside his bus in the dark Detroit night. We jumped straight into it—his music and his story, and where it all started. Unfortunately, the battery in my camera lasted about 10 minutes (I’m not so good at journalism). I expected the conversation to end when the red light stopped flashing, but Aaron surprised me.
The rest was unofficial. It was something better. Real life. We talked about pain, hope, grace, redemption, healing. We talked about music—where it comes from and why it matters. We talked about love—the kind that looks upon a broken, anxious rock star and finds itself inside a humble husband. The story is one of healing and hope—a once-probable disaster replaced by a diamond ring for a good woman and a house full of dogs and drums in Tampa.
His song “Amazing, Because It Is” got me through last summer. It is a song that shouldn’t work on the “Warped Tour.” “Amazing” starts slow and borrows its chorus from a 240-year old hymn. There was no moment on tour that came close to seeing that song come to life every day—grace most at home where you least expect it. And then Aaron’s simple words near the close of The Almost set: “I want you to know that you’re special, that you’re beautiful. I want you to know that Jesus loves you…” Most guys would get booed off the stage, but Aaron’s earned the right to be heard. If they trust you—and if the songs are great—you can talk about anything.
Aaron Gillespie makes it easier for me to believe in God. I think it’s that he’s aware of his own need. It is the place he’s always lived, and I suppose it provides some explanation for his songs as well. If any music should ever be called Christ-like, it should certainly be honest. I’m thankful for the gifts God has given Aaron and for the way he’s using them. Like I said, I’m not much of a journalist, so my favorite part might be that I get to call the guy friend.
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