[ WM ] You and I last visited two years ago in February , for the March 2020 issue of [ WM ]. We were just entering the pandemic . This was before lockdowns and prior to any discussion of tours being cancelled . We had no idea of what was to come . And so here we stand , by the grace of God , 25 months later . It seemsas-though it ’ s been the longest two years in my lifetime . No hugging family members . The passing of friends . No corporate worship . We ’ ve wiped down groceries and limited ourselves to drive thru , fast food . I can ’ t think of a better sentiment than singing about our dependence upon leaning on the everlasting arms . Your thoughts ?
[ Matt ] Wow . Yeah . Well , you know , once again I think everyone can hold this thought in common that we ' re in a real tough situation right now . And I think everyone has ideas on how we ' re going to get out , how we ' re going to make it through . And I absolutely think that a big part of it for me is that the source of my capacity for compassion , my capacity for listening , my capacity for peacemaking , my capacity for helping , being an ambassador of reconciliation in a divided world , comes from that proximity to Jesus and my desire , like you said , to keep my weight on Him .
[ WM ] Do you have an EP or full-length project in the works ?
[ Matt ] I do . Yeah . There is a big project , and this song is the first one , first of many .
And so it ' ll be rolling out over the next year . I ’ m very , very excited about it . It was a very big labor of love . And full of twists and turns and surprises , this song being one of them . This song was one of the last ones to be written . So , it ' ll be rolling out over the next year , and I ' m very much looking forward to it .
And I would say it ' s very indicative of me as a whole , as a musician and as a songwriter . I feel like it ' s the truest expression of who I am as an artist and as a believer , in every sense of the word .
[ WM ] Proverbs 18:16 states , “ A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great .” ( NIV ) Where do you hope to someday perform or lead in worship ?
[ Matt ] Oh wow . I have lots of bucket list venues , and they range in size and scope . Whether it ' s a Radio City Music Hall or the Chicago Theatre in Chicago to headline , or the Fox Theatre in Atlanta . I ' ve played the Fox and the Chicago when I was opening for Third Day . Or headlining my own show at Red Rocks , even though I ' ve played there a bunch . There ' s lots of places like that .
The mission statement of everything that I ' ve done has been the 17th chapter of John ' s Gospel , which is Jesus ' prayer for unity . And in large part that was inspired by the life of a