Yesterday's blog explored the subject of heroes. Rich Mullins was one.  He was remarkable in that, although he achieved both fame and fortune through his music, he didn't allow himself to be corrupted by it. I look around the modern musical landscape and wonder who will take up the torch he carried for a life of pure devotion to Jesus.

Mullins penned and performed such popular songs as "Our God is an Awesome God," and won all kinds of awards.  But he put the money he made into a trust and lived on very little.

As detailed in the wonderful biography Rich Mullins:  An Arrow Pointed Toward Heaven,  Mullins lived a militantly simple life.  His heroes were men like St. Francis of Acissi.  He understood that one of the great dangers we Christians face is capitulation to our culture.  He derided a church that "preaches a message of comfort to the comfortable."

He couldn't abide a church that preferred to focus on throwing doctrinal stones at each other rather than caring for the poor and sharing hope.  He noted that "one of the main reasons we've lost our witness to the world is that we fight with one another."  He saw the way churches are more interested in getting people to come to them instead of going where the people are.  Mullins said, "It's a wounded world that needs a healing touch."

Mullins looked a lot like Jesus when he said:  "Our real doctrine is that doctrine that is born out in our character.  You can profess the Apostles' Creed until Jesus returns, but if you don't love somebody, you never were a Christian."

He had a wonderfully provocative way of upsetting apple carts.  He said:  "Instead of growing bigger churches, we need to grow bigger Christians."

If you struggle with the grip our culture has on you, I suggest thinking deeply about the challenge he left us: "Sometimes what we know about God needs to be purged to allow the real God to emerge."

Thanks to blog reader Rich Niccols, who had the chance to hang out with Mullins some and reminded me of how inspiring Mullins has been to me in the past by writing about it in this blog.