The world often thinks of Christians as being crazy, and the Grammy Award-winning group Casting Crowns don’t mind the phrase. They recently released an anthem called “Crazy People” in which the group calls on listeners to embrace their faith in Christ even though it can appear “crazy” to the secular world.
“Crazy People” is featured on the band’s latest album, “Healer,” released early this year. Recorded during government-mandated lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, front man and songwriter Mark Hall said he wrote songs for the moment.
“We follow a God we’ve never seen,” he says. “We pray to a God we’ve never heard. And on faith, we put all the weight of our life in this God that we’ve never seen, that we know is real. Let me just tell you, that looks a little crazy to the world.”
The second verse of the song touches on how Christians have been perceived in modern times: “Who brings a Bible into a public school?/ Who shares a Gospel even when the world calls them a fool?/ And who’s not afraid to go against the flow?/ Well cancel me and call me one of those.”
The chorus says: “Crazy people trust in Jesus/ Followin’ Him wherever He leads us/ Kingdom seekers/ Walk by faith believers/ Here’s the church, here’s the steeple/ Here’s to all God’s crazy people.”
Hall said that when writing the song, he chose Hebrews 11 to illustrate the “crazy faith” of the early Christians.
“I think all the people that we would consider heroes in the Bible, the things that they would do, the steps that they would take to follow a guy that they’ve never seen,” he said. “The world sees that as crazy, and I say this world could use some more crazy!”
Hall, who also is a youth pastor in Atlanta, concluded by saying: “We need some people to start loving people like crazy. We start serving like crazy. We start stepping out, giving like crazy and being the people that God needs us to be to reach the people that God loves. It’s going to take us stepping out of the ordinary and doing stuff somebody might just call crazy. Maybe it’s time you get crazy!”
Lyrics to Crazy People:
Who walks up to a giant and picks the fight?
Who turns a lion’s den into a petting zoo?
Who can have a church in the fire of furnace? Well, I’ll tell you
Following Him wherever He leads us
Kingdom seekers, walk by faith believers
Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, here’s to all God’s crazy people
Who shares a gospel even when the world caused them a fool?
And who’s not afraid to go against the floor?
Will cancel me and call me one of those
‘Cause I’m one of those
Following Him wherever He leads us
Kingdom seekers, walk by faith believers
Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, here’s to all God’s crazy people
I’m one of those crazy people
(I’m one of those crazy people)
Who talks to Jesus like He’s real? (Crazy)
Who believes the words in red? (crazy)
Who says He’s coming back again? (Crazy)
Following Him wherever He leads us
Kingdom seekers, walk by faith believers
Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, here’s to all God’s crazy people
Crazy people (crazy people)
I’m one of those, I’m one of those crazy people (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
–Alan Goforth| Metro Voice