Rich Mullins: Barefoot in a teepee

my kind of guy...

Rich and the Ragamuffins seemed tired and road weary during the concert that night. I have performed enough to know that after a couple of weeks of back to back shows, you aren’t sure if you’ve said this or sung that to this group of people or not. Regardless, I was warmed by the experience and felt God touch my heart during Rich’s show. But, to my surprise, it was not his lyrics, his instrumental expertise or personal stories that touched me; in fact, I don’t think he said much at all between songs that night. Rather, I was stricken by an awareness of Rich’s frailty, his honesty and humility. Before us stood a guy with no pretences and no agenda. He did not try to sell us the gospel, his latest cd or convince us of anything that he believed, he only sang of how he had experienced the person and path of Christ in the midst of his struggle to find a place for his humanity. As was usual, Rich was not concerned about his appearances, for his hair was still wet from a pre-concert shower, his jeans were dirty and torn and, as usual, he wore no shoes. I did not see a man who aspired to live up to ideals and expectations put upon him by others or manufactured by his ego. Rather, I saw a man content to play his role in life, willing to do his part in the kingdom of heaven even if he preferred that it not be on the stage and in the spotlight.