John Mark McMillan released and email today that stopped me in my tracks. I loved it, I loved how he articulated his obsession and his desire to be an artist. Please read his words:
My name is John Mark and I’m obsessed…
Since I was very young I’ve been infatuated with the forces that led to my existence. You could easily say I’ve been obsessed with God my whole life. If I was an atheist I’d be obsessed with the God I didn’t believe in. (In fact, I think I WAS an atheist for, like, a couple months, and I still mostly thought about God the whole time.) I’ve been writing songs about God for over 20 years. Some of them have been recorded by popular performers, and sung in churches around the world. This is obviously wonderful. I’m grateful for all the people that have been blessed and all the attention has afforded me. Because of this type of “success” I think it perplexes people that I haven’t put more or all of my energy into “church music”… But if I’m being honest, (and I usually am) I’ve only ever really wanted to be an artist. As I see it, the roll of the artist is simple. The artist takes common things and reveals their hidden significance. The artist is here to remind us that nothing is truly common. That’s right, there’s no “normal life”. Just people who get used to seeing the same things, hearing the same words, and doing the same dance until they grow dull to the fact that this whole thing is a miracle.
Yes. You, your world, your life, your very existence, and all the fascinating people that surround your comings and goings are all 100% significant beyond measure. My purpose in life is to highlight this fact for as many people are willing to listen. I'm happy to sell you music and musical products but my life will not be complete if I don’t take every opportunity that I have to remind you that you, ALSO are a miracle my friend!
John Mark McMillan
