Christian Review Magazine Issue 3 - March 2015 | Page 50

thoughtful, artistic light that evokes
curiosity from believers and nonbelievers alike.
“We want to be able to share our
music with anyone, hoping they
appreciate the beauty of it while
thinking, ‘Wow, you’re writing from a
Christian story for art, really?’ Our
goal is to be integral to the society
we’re in,” says David. “We hope
people hear our story, get to know us
and realize, ‘Oh man, this person is
different than me, but maybe they
can respect the way I think.’”

david GUNGOR
a very complex thing that’s going on.
Everything is very intentional in how
it’s written. I don’t think we’ve ever
written a song that we’re more
excited about.”
Then there’s the poignant “Does
Your Heart Break?”—a song originally
written for Lent. In light of recent
cultural and religious clashes around
the world, the song takes on new
meaning. David revisited the lyrics
and revised the second verse to
reflect the emotions of his
congregation amid unrest in New
York following the questionable
death of an African-American man,
giving his church a chance to grieve
during Advent.
“For any song or any piece of art,
there are things that are surface
level, and then there’s always a story
behind the story,” says David.

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john ARNDT
“Art must have the ability to
represent multiple meanings at
once,” continues John. “Everyone has
a different experience and perception
that includes their unique hopes,
desires and fears. A huge part of the
‘beauty’ of art is its ability to
transcend clean, black and white
definitions… I also believe that is the
beauty of God. Whenever we try to
grasp the Divine and limit God to a
simple dogma, He evades our grasp.
David and John hope the stories in
their songs provoke thought and
spark the creativity of listeners,
regardless of the diverse venues
where they perform—from high
masses and formal church settings to
seminaries, colleges and clubs. The
universal appeal of their music is
breaking down barriers of age,
ethnicity and even religion, allowing
them to share their faith in a

Basic Christian truths like loving your
neighbor and forgiving others are at
the heart of the remedy for the
human condition, regardless of
religious beliefs. The Brilliance hopes
their art can transcend the walls that
divide us and somehow fulfill that
longing for peace and justice in songs
that lead listeners on a journey
ultimately toward hope.
“For me, the reason I follow the
teaching of Jesus Christ is because it
actually brings life and truth, and it
transcends certain boundaries,”
David maintains. “We love art, and
we love the idea of making art within
the Christian narrative… We want to
push boundaries artistically to inspire
the imagination.”
Article and images used courtesy of Hoganson
Media Relations and The Brilliance

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READ OUR REVIEW OF

“BROTHER”