When I was in college, I was in charge of promoting concerts and coffeehouses. I was also the editor of the paper, so in addition to making sure riders were fulfilled and artists were fed, I also often had a chance to interview said artists. And in the three years that I served in those roles, I became pretty disillusioned. I attended a Christian school, so all of the artists were brought in were believers. I often was ministered to by their music, sang along with their worship songs. Until I met them.
I’m not going to name names and tales too. But I will say that they were some of the rudest, most verbally abusive, and just plain mean people I’ve ever met. There were those who got up and moved to another table when I sat next to them. There was the band that made me stand outside of their tour bus in a thunder storm while they checked to make sure I got their take-out orders right…and then forgot about me. There was the guy who made me carry all of his merchandise back to the tour bus while he sat and watched.
After being yelled at, berated and talked-down to, I would often walk back to my dorm, pull out those CDs that days before had ministered to me, and cracked them in two. Because I couldn’t handle the disconnect.
It’s now nearly ten years later. Finally, I can see that all of my experiences weren’t bad. I met some INCREDIBLE people through those experiences…people who I still am in touch with today.
But more than that, I’m trying to learn to give those people grace. To realize that, I saw a tiny moment in their lives. Maybe they weren’t feeling well. Maybe they missed their family. Maybe, I judged them too quickly, too harshly.
I’ll be honest, the memories of many of their actions still sting. And most of them–well, I still can’t listen to their music. But I’m praying for a forgiving heart, and a less judgmental mind. Not just for people I see in a fleeting backstage moment, but also for those I encounter daily.
And I’m trying to remember that I only see in part.
i only organized one show a few years ago (derek at my church) and i thought it was a lot more work than i thought. derek’s riders weren’t too big of a deal, but i’ve seen others (like the band he used to be and is now back in) and it’s so specific and detailed. i can’t imagine some of the bigger bands and how meticulous there stuff is. how about just come play and i’ll have some bottled water for you? does it really have to be aquafina and not dasani? i’d love to hear who some of these bands were, because after talking to a pretty decently popular christian music star of mine, i like hearing all the dirt.
I hear ya, Brandy. I’ve met some people in the Christian music biz that immediately ended my desire to listen to their music. However, I’ll give a high five to one person. Phil Keaggy, perhaps one of the most talented and well known Christian musicians in the world, is amazingly down to earth and real, especially considering how famous he is. Go Phil.