It is sometimes a question that arises about why conservative news sites have posts about current Christian music. News is the answer. Daily news reports of satanic evil are flooding our inboxes, as was the case in Waukesha earlier in this week. Daily lies are being told by government officials and media that enable their lying. The t-shirt floating around bearing the inscription “y’all need Jesus” may be intended to be humorous, but it is also true. We do need Jesus. We all need Jesus. RedState has many stories about musicians sharing the gospel to a dying, hurting world. Bringing Home is a great resource for this purpose.
The husband-wife team Amber Russell and Jared Russell, based in Norris City (Illinois), created Bringing Home. They have been married 11 years, and they have 3 daughters. Their day job is professional painters; in their own words, “Everything interior and exterior, both commercial and residential.” Business is good.
Here’s some background. One of the most beautiful couples you will ever see, The Russells met at Fairfield High School in Illinois. Jared was seven years old when he accepted Christ. Amber was in junior high when she became a Christian. As she recalls, “I was drawn to the Lord after seeing my mother go through a painful divorce. I was inspired to search for God after seeing her transform her life and seek God to heal her from pain. I was raised in the church but never had a relationship with Christ until then.”
Jared’s best friend was Amber’s brother, which is how they met. Jared asked Amber out for a year and she refused. In August 2007, Amber finally accepted to date Jared. The relationship progressed and the couple were finally married in April 2010.
The Russell’s music draws on influences such as Coldplay and OneRepublic without being a copy. They began making music while they were still in a relationship. Amber notes, “My interest in music began with writing poetry. My love of writing has always been there. As a child, I loved to sing and create songs. My karaoke machine was my instrument of choice and I used it to invite neighbors. When Jared and I got together, we began to turn my poems into songs.”
Jared adds, “I have always had a passion for music. It wasn’t until my high school career that I delved into composition and writing. I started by doing compositions and writing for others, then branched into doing my own.”
While Bringing Home does not currently dominate Christian music, it is an integral part of stock-issue praise and worship. An example:
Amber comments, “Our goal is to create music that is different and set apart from mainstream Christian music. After going through some really hard times as a Christian and battling things that the Christian music industry doesn’t bring light to, I wanted to write songs about real things that are hard to talk about; in hopes to let someone else know that they are not alone in whatever they are going through.”
Jared’s take: “Songs I heard at a young age brought hope and a light to me in my times of trouble. The same was my goal: to be an example for others. Our main objective is, in a nutshell, to share the gospel and hope of Christ. Jesus came to save us and give us hope. Lyrically speaking, our secondary goal is to talk openly about difficult topics and to be precise. Because no one can be freed unless all the truth is revealed. Musically, we strive to never fall into the musical rut of playing the same thing everyone else plays.”
Amber finishes by adding, “We believe the music and lyrics go hand in hand. Powerful lyrics need powerful melodies to support it.”
Bringing Home’s new song, “To The Ones,” which leads off the latest episode of Cephas Hour, directly addresses hurting people. Jared starts, “My sister came to us one day with a line. ‘This goes out to the broken ones, the lonely ones, the hurting ones.’ The lines immediately resonated with us. This song is different from all our other music because it speaks to the deepest part of each of our hearts. We put on a smile every day when we step out of our doors. All our hurt and pain is masked from everyone, but God says, ‘I see you,’ and He understands what we’re going through when no one else does.”
Amber adds to the observation. “The lyrics for this song were written from a place of my own anxiety. At times, I felt as if no one understood me except God. I wanted to write a song to remind people dealing with the same thing that they are never alone.”
A world in which madness is rampant and the church has reacted poorly to it, the Church needs all of its bringing home.
You can also find the new song on Spotify or Apple Music.
About Post Author
