“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” ~Romans 7:15-19
This is the verse that comes to my mind as I sit in Reardon Auditorium at Anderson University with my family and some friends watching Ragamuffin - The True Story of Rich Mullins. My wife, Anita, knew Rich personally. He used to stay at their home in Vestaburg, Michigan when we would volunteer at the local Rock Lake Christian Assembly down the road. She’d always told me Rich was different, but Rich was real. Now seeing his story on the big screen, I knew what she meant.
Rich Mullins was taken from this life way too early in my opinion. He was a gifted song-writer, singer, and musician. His songs were sung by the likes of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, and many others. His most familiar song is Awesome God. Rich had taken a vow of poverty and his lifestyle showed it. He took no more salary than what the average person in America would earn. The rest of his earnings went to his church and to charity. He died tragically in an auto accident on September 19, 1997.
Rich Mullins was far from the traditional, contemporary Christian Musician. While his heart was totally devoted to the Lord, his earthly struggles remained. After the film, I overheard someone say, “Wow. I didn’t realize he struggled so much.”
What strikes me is that we all struggle with our faith. We struggle with our sins. We fight to do what is right, but often fail. It’s not just Rich who struggles in his faith, but if we’re honest, it’s every one of us.
After the film, there was a Q & A with the director and actors. One of the questionnaires said, “Thank you for the most REAL Christian movie ever made.”
Ragamuffin is a gritty, real, honest film depicting the life of a man who wrestled with temptation, sin, and culture. It’s coming to KCC Friday, March 28 at 7:00 PM.
