I Like This Group

Let's see if I can write something that won't outrage Dan. (Yes, I'm exaggerating. He's not actually outraged over everything I write.) There is a Christian music group that I find myself liking more and more. You may have heard of them. They are a band from Canada called Downhere. The lead singer and guitarist gained some notariety a couple years ago for doing the singing for the 2018 movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek played Freddie Mercury (and won an Oscar for it), but Marc Martel was his singing voice because of his remarkable similarity to Mercury's voice. They write most of their own stuff and I've been impressed with their lyrics.

The first song I heard from them was My Last Amen. It's about this strange sensation we Christians can experience where, in the midst of the real world, we get a sense of another, better place. The second verse says

I could swear I have two hearts
One to stay, one to depart
This sad, tragic kingdom

And it burns me down to the core
Because I know
there's so much more
It's just a pale reflection

So they long for that vague but better place where finally they will encounter perfection -- the last prayer is answered and "Amen" -- let it be so -- will be so for eternity. Like Paul's "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Php 1:21). I love that.

But they seem to keep hitting the right lyrical note, as it were. Their How Many Kings? asks what human king would do for his people what God has done for us? In Let Me Rediscover You they long to constantly reconnect with God. Here I Am urges us to always be ready to hear His voice and answer, "Here I am," ready to serve because He enables us to do so. You're Not Alone reminds us that God will never leave us nor forsake us -- we're never alone.

One of my favorite singers years ago was Steve Taylor. He said the tough things. He took on politicians who pandered to the Christians without being Christian (It's a Personal Thing) and Christians who demand you be "just like us" (I Want To Be A Clone). He addressed those who find sin perfectly suitable (Whatever Happened to Sin?) and modern culture (Meltdown at Madam Tussaud's). He even pointed fingers at himself in Cash Cow while pointing out the error of Prosperity theology. He had the courage to sing the truth, sing it well, and pull no punches. Downhere does the same with Something Heavenly when they sing, "I'm so far from what I wanna be. Oh I really am my own worst enemy." And in The Problem. They ask what grand conspiracy is causing the problems in this world and conclude, "The problem with this world ... is me."

Started by a couple of pastor's kids in a Bible college, Downhere derived its name from their mission. "Our name Downhere implies that we're going to be real people on and off the stage – not hiding in the pastor's study before and after the concert," they explain. "We want to hang out with people, shoot hoops with people, pray with people ... and we consider all of that an act of worship." I like that. And I appreciate their ministry.