The Leap

Our next interview was with Ben Olin, Brandon Paxton, and Jeremy Kunkle of the band This Beautiful Republic. These guys are currently on the Creation Fest Tour all over the country, so try to catch them!
Oh, of course, as I'm writing this, one of their songs starts playing on my iTunes, which I have on shuffle with 951 songs! Awesome.
The guys from TBR, just like Jon from Hyland, talked about the band being a business, and how the work is never done. Money is a huge risk they took and are taking. But they shared that they have learned that money is definitely something God takes care of if they are following His will. As Ben said, "The body of Christ will support the body of Christ."
In the same way, they spoke about the real ministry being in fellowship. Personal relationships are where real influence happens, not necessarily from a big stage. In personal relationships there are deep conversations and modeling of a Christ-filled life. Even as a popular Christian band, they find that when they go home and talk to old friends, they are able to encourage more and be more encouraged than from the "pedestal" that is being in a rock band.
Ben, Brandon, and Jeremy revealed the risks they took in creating and continuing the band. They talked about the fear and doubt they had in making these life choices, but even more so about the ever-imperative trust in God. They stressed the need for a continuous, 2-way relationship with God in order to know His plan. Their career defines the phrase, “making a leap of faith.” Their story taught me that it’s not just about the initial jump. It’s the entire freefall, with no personal control; just knowing that God is not just the parachute and not only the final ground, but the air that surrounds us. We have to remind ourselves that when the wind carries us away (or what we think is “away”), it is God’s command and plan.
On another note, some of my funniest interview moments came from this interview. From poking fun at the way I worded a question to funny stories about the years of TBR to making fun of themselves for something they said, we shared a lot of laughs. We learned that Ben will continue singing in This Beautiful Republic even if he has his larynx removed, radio stations have his mom on Caller ID because she requests TBR so much, and we should all buy band t-shirts even if we can't afford them, because This Beautiful Republic has a credit card machine!
Thanks, guys, for the time, the wise insight, and the humor.
On deck, Flatfoot 56!
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