Crowder's Inspiring Message to Christians in a Dark Culture: ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’

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Grammy-nominated artist Crowder says the message on his latest album is simple yet necessary for Christians living in a dark culture: “Everything’s gonna be alright.” The cover of the album, The Exile, features a picture of a dry, desolate land. The 30-second intro to the album includes an eerie voice warning: “In the case of nuclear or radiological fallout, seek shelter.” The core of the album, though, includes hope-filled messages for Christians who feel like they are a “stranger in a strange land,” as one of the tracks says.

“Here in the States it definitely, in my short lifetime, it feels more challenging than ever,” Crowder told Crosswalk Headlines when asked if it’s more challenging to be a Christian in today’s world than in past years.

“If your head is facing a television or your phone, [then] it feels really, really challenging. [But] when you’re in your neighborhood with people that know you and love you and are trying to follow Jesus as well, it doesn’t feel very difficult. I can think of a lot of other places that probably are way more difficult.

“But I do feel like what’s happening, though, is the church, I think, is feeling a robust need to respond in a way that maybe in the past we haven’t. It feels like there’s a tipping point that we’re about to hit, where the church’s voice gets a little more robust and responsive in light of how loud other antagonistic-toward-the-church voices can be. Because they’re pretty loud.”

Three songs from the album have already been charted: Grave Robber, Somebody Prayed, and [DASH].

The Exile is currently the No. 1 album on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart and is the second release in a trilogy of albums, the first being Milk and Honey and the final The Return, scheduled for a future release, he said. The theme of the trilogy, he said, mirrors the arc of the Old Testament Israelites, who were given a Promised Land but then booted from the land before they were allowed by God to return. 

“Everything’s gonna be alright,” Crowder said of the album’s primary messages. “He’s still in control. He’s still sovereign.”

The track Even in Exile includes the lyrics: “Fire by night, cloud by day / God of all heaven gonna lead my way / no matter how long, still gonna praise / even in exile, I’m marchin’ on.”

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s people finding hope while in exile, he said. 

“Daniel in the lion’s den is in the middle of exile,” Crowder said. “That’s an amazing story; it wouldn’t happen without displacement. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego -- same deal. Ezekiel, on the banks of the river, and heaven opens up. 

“And so there’s amazing, miraculous things that happen when we feel dislocated and know that we’re not home yet. But we can have confidence and hope and faith in those stories as well, that He does deliver, that He is sovereign. And those are the stories I’m trying to tell on this album.”

The lyrics on The Exile, he said, are more “horizontal” than “vertical.”

“Most of my records, the lyric is very vertically oriented; we’re singing to God or responding to God,” he said. “... This record [The Exile] is supposed to feel and be more conversational because it came out of stories, reconnecting with people that had come through lockdown and pandemic and [they’re] on the other side of that. … A lot of us went through a lot of stuff.”

Photo Credit: ©SWN/Capitol CMG

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.