Have Some Guts Kid, This is Ministry.

“This is my parents calling, not mine,” is a phrase that pretty much every MK has said at least once in their lives. Sometimes it can feel like we're just along for the ride, playing the role of the missionaries' perfect child. The song, “I Need You” by Gable Price and friends (from their EP, “If I’m Being Honest”) encapsulates the MK feeling so well and beautifully illustrates feelings and experiences that many missionary kids can relate to.

The song opens with a driving bass line and the lyrics, “I broke my wrist, punching through a wall in the parsonage. The congregation cant see my crying,” before we hear a guitar riff and the drums come in. “Parsonage” is a word we don't hear very often; it means a house belonging to a clergy member. These lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song. In the mission world, even when everything is falling apart, we often feel like we have to put on a mask and make everyone think that we are doing great.

The song is full of deep and profound lyrics but was made to sound like a fun song to listen to. This is seen clearly in the music video, where the audience that GPAF performs to is uninterested in what they are singing unless they do something entertaining, like wearing animal costumes and rollerblading around. Later in the music video, the band's car breaks down and when Gable Price pops the hood to check on the car, there is a group of spectators and one of them has a sign reading: “DO SOMETHING SICK!” In response, Gable drops the hood onto his fingers and the crowd jumps up and cheers.

The second half of the first verse references the screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis when Gable says, “I’ve got a swollen eye, from wrestling my demons every night. And uncle screwtape won’t be my last one.” Here, Gable Price is talking about the difficulty that Christians face when overcoming temptation and battling demons. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”

The drums cut out for the pre chorus which goes, “I’ve got two spare tires, and far more county lines than exit signs. I'm on this road until the engine dies,” before jumping into the chorus: “I need you. If I'm being honest, I haven't been honest in a couple odd years now. I need you. If the land I take is another step away from you, I don't want it. I've got a heavy foot, we're pushing ninety-five, I'm speeding down this road until the engine dies. I need you.” The pre chorus and chorus express “burn-out,” a feeling which is extremely common in the missions world. Gable recognises burnout with his lyrics about his “engine” dying, and then calls out to God with the line, “I need you,” saying that despite his burnout, he doesn't want to go anywhere that would lead him away from God. This is a powerful reminder to us, that despite the hardships and suffering, God is our lifeline and we shouldn't want anything that would lead us away from him.

Verse two expresses the buildup and  toll that ministry can have when Gable Price sings, “Righteous rage, hold me deep inside the tension everyday. Can anger be holy if you don't let it eat clean through you? I'm an optimist when I close my eyes and unclench my fist. And if pain's in the mindset, then so is denial.” This verse sums up how a lot of us can feel when we experience anger or tension, which, like Gable says, can be part of our everyday lives. He also mentions being in denial of the pain, saying that, “If pain’s in the mindset, then so is denial.”

In the music video, during the second chorus, we see a pastor standing in an inflatable pool outside with a sign reading “baptisms.” He stands in front of empty rows of fold-up chairs, clearly set out for a large group of people to attend. The camera then cuts and pans over Gable Price sitting in a dunk tank with a large crowd of people cheering and throwing balls at the target to dunk Gable. This parallel ties back to the overarching theme of the music video, that people don’t care about the content, they just want to be entertained. People don’t want to come hear deep lyrics, they want to watch a show. People don’t want to watch someone get baptized, they want to watch someone get dunked.

The third and final verse has the drums cut out once again, and the lyrics hit hard.

“You gotta let it hurt, our image is the only thing we're worth. His is the Kingdom and yours is the church. Smile with your teeth, your bruises make a lovely accessory. Have some guts, kid, this is ministry.” This verse deals with the romanticization of the suffering in ministry. The line, “You gotta let it hurt, our image is the only thing we're worth,” is a criticism of how often appearance seems to matter more than authenticity. When Gable says “Smile with your teeth, your bruises make a lovely accessory. Have some guts, kid, this is ministry,” he’s dripping with sarcasm since suffering in ministry is often romanticized instead of addressed.

Ultimately this song is a cry for God's help. Ministry is a difficult calling, it has its ups and downs, and we often feel a need to mask the pain. The line, “Have some guts kid, this is ministry,” resonates with me as an MK; Since our families, and by extension us, are involved in ministry, there is a lot more spiritual warfare surrounding us. Our bruises making lovely accessories feels like a satirical badge saying, “look at me, these are the fruits of my labor.”

This song also does a great job exposing the human condition. Some people just want to be entertained. They don’t actually care about the message you want to give. I highly recommend listening to the full album “If I'm Being Honest.” It delves into so many great themes of our spiritual lives and walk with God.