Toby Mac is a leader of the pack when it comes to musicians in the Christian Music Genre and world. He has won Grammy Awards for his music and has had three of his albums go gold. Also he has had six number 1 Christian singles. But there is more to Toby Mac than his music. It is obvious that he loves what he does and passionately believes in his music ministry; however, Toby is much more about the message and ministry using music as the means of communicating it than he is about the glitz, glamour and appeal of success and the praise of men – which he fully realizes is only temporary and fleeting.
In the music industry – Christian or otherwise, you are today a star and tomorrow a “has been,” gone and forgotten with someone new at the top of the charts and in people’s fickle hearts; so it is refreshing to find Christian musical artists such as Toby who are truly committed to their ministry and proclaiming the message of Christ regardless of where it lands them on the music industry charts. Might I say, he is more concerned about people’s “hearts” than getting recognized on the Billboard Music Magazine Christian Music charts. Not that getting the recognition because it is well deserved is a bad thing – it is just not where his heart is at and what his primary goal in life is. Hence his new book, City on our Knees.
The title of the book is taken from the title of one of his hit singles, “City On Our Knees” and is a collection of thoughts, stories and experiences – some in the life of Toby Mac and others about people from many different places and circumstances in life. In his song as well as in his book he hauntingly asks and addresses the question, “If We Gotta Start Sometime Why Not Now?” In his book he shares thoughts and quotes from a number of different people – some you would hardly expect from a man so young but do not easily let the youngness of his youth fool you as sometimes the younger people in our churches and in ministry are more in love with the old preachers and old ways than many of their older and more seasoned counterparts. For example, he quotes from Saint Francis of Assisi, Augustine of Hippo, Charles Haddon Spurgeon to name a few, however he also quotes contemporary people but even more significantly his book is pregnant with scriptural references indicating that Toby has immersed himself in the study and knowledge of the Word of God. Is it any wonder that he is having the impact on Christian music and in the lives of people that he is today?
City On Our Knees is a book about life; covering everything from the stories and topics of injustice and justice, to poverty and politics, love, compassion, prayer, spiritual awakening, miracles and to hope. It is truly a book about the good, the bad and the ugly realities of life; however, in the end he wants us to be left with a message of hope not only for the here and now but for the future as well. And that is how he ends his book with an appropriate and much needed “Prayer of Hope.”
So, “If We Gotta Start Sometime...(and we all should as followers of Christ), Why Not Now? My advice is to read this book and learn just what that means.
For more information about City On Our Knees visit the Bethany House Publishing Company website.
To order a copy of City On Our Knees click on the book
Comments