In 2005, while at Kingdom Bound, I ran into a journalist named John Marks who was clearly out of his element trying to navigate the intricate subculture of a Christian music festival. I learned he was working on a book about Christianity and needed some guidance on the subject of Christian music, so I sat down, made a list of artists he should talk to, and answered some questions about the industry. The next week we got on the phone and I opened my address book to share contacts and help him connect with publicists, aritsts and managers.
That’s when I found out that John Marks was more than just a guy writing a book. He’s a former journalist with US News and World Reports and a former producer for “60 Minutes.” My first thought was, “And he needs help from me?”

Over the next year or so, John and I talked frequently, and when he came to Gospel Music Week in 2006 I brought him to my favorite event of the week, the McCain Guitar Pull. For two hours we sat around and listened to Christian music artists talk about their songs, sang hymns, and generally just chilled.
When his book, Reasons to Believe, came out this past January, I finally got to see what was going on in his head, and what he thought about Christian music … and me. In a chapter on Christian music and entertainment, John quotes me several times. I also got to read what else went on at Kingdom Bound, including his encounter with a certain (now former) Newsboy with an attitude.
This week, John did an interview with Martin Davis and talked about not just the book, but me, too:

“She wore her faith very well. She believed, she struggled, she wasn’t afraid to make her own doubts known … It’s a version of Christianity that few people ever get to see. Just loving God and loving yourself. She embodies it very well. It’s a silent majority of Christian Americans, I believe. She’s just a great witness.”

I tell you this not because I’m all “Hey, I’m mentioned in an article,” but because I’m always fascinated by the ways that God uses us when we least expect to be used. I was pretty open with John about not only my faith but the entire Christian music industry. I was a little concerned how that would go over, since all Christians are supposed to have all the answers, right? I mean, I took lot of flak for my thoughts on Ray Boltz. But I’ve learned over the last decade or so that just admitting that I’m conflicted about things I read in the Bible often opens more doors to talk about faith than coming at people with a black-and-white-I-have-all-the-answers mentality.
Anyway, you might find John’s book interesting and this interview will give you a preview of what you’ll find in Reasons to Believe. Warning: if you’re not open minded enough to consider how other people think about God and faith, then don’t bother reading the book. But if you want to see how mainstream America sees evangelicals and are willing to have your own views on faith challenged, check it out.
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