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My interview with Sanctus Real’s lead vocalist Matt Hammitt reports on the past year’s lessons of brokenness, honesty, & hope, all on April 4th’s, “The Face of Love.”
Sanctus Real faced much upheaval this year. Drummer Mark Graalman's dad was in the same hospice with Matt Hammitt's beloved grandmother. Hammitt and his wife welcomed their first child and guitarist Chris Rohman just married. New bassist Dan Gartley joined. But they mined this wild season and spun it into gold for new album, "The Face of Love." "Our prayers helped us to trust that God was doing something even in these trials. We saw the positive side, and we opened ourselves up to God's healing so we didn't become bitter," Matt relates. The album takes an unflinching look at the realities of life and celebrates the equally valid reality of God's unconditional love. "Christians have a hard time speaking about their pain. We get cozy in our bubble and our fear of judgment makes us afraid to open up. But this year has taught me so much about learning to love people. In the past maybe I was the kind of person who made others afraid to open up, discouraging them from sharing by not showing love. Or people don't want to talk about their pain because they sense that we don't really want to hear them. We may say, "Oh yeah, I'll pray for you," but we don't really care enough at times." When I mention that he is as forceful in conversation as he is musically, his reply is quick. "We take that as a compliment. We want desperately to bring our message, and to be clear and concise about it." I ask him if anything is too tough to share. He reflects before answering, "I don't think so, we'll talk about anything. Part of "Don't Give Up," from the new CD, is about divorce, which people won't talk about straight up. But we have a close friend who was recently divorced. We know that's not God's plan but sometimes things get out of control. It was painful, one of the hardest parts of the last year. When Mark's dad died, and my grandmother, we knew they were in heaven. When our bass player left we got a new one. But divorce is so open-ended, there's no closure." "We're writing now for those thinking about divorce, to encourage them not to give up. Christ will fill you and make you new, even if you've done things that are not part of his plan. He still loves and accepts you. His forgiveness and love are final. Our message after this past year is of brokenness and honesty, but it's also of hope." It's a timely message from a band who has earned the right to bring it. Sanctus Real sings of a hope they are sure of, and that's as real as it gets.
The copyright of the article Spotlight: Sanctus Real in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Spotlight: Sanctus Real in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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