by David Dodd

Skillet has a long and diverse career but something has happened during the last two records.  There’s been a change, something that has gone drastically deeper than your previous works.  I get the feeling God is really moving in your hearts during the last 2 projects. 

With the release of Collide which is our release prior to our latest release, we did some club shows and I think for us it was a real eye-opener just getting out there and seeing the needs of people and the hopelessness that’s out there and wanting to be able to bring the Gospel in a way that was relevant to those people, in a way that they could actually hear it.  And so, going into Comatose we thought that as a church we just have to wake up the need around us and not just stay in our own little circle and be safe, that’s not the point.  The point is that we get the Gospel out there, that we get Christ out there.  We need to share the hope we have and the peace that we’ve found.  That was the idea going into the latest record was to write something that was accessible to people who weren’t Christians as well as people who were.

We have some social messages like The Last Night which is about cutting and suicide, it’s really resonated with so many people, Christians and non-Christians alike.  We have the song, The Older I Get which is about forgiveness.  When we play clubs, everyone can relate to forgiveness, forgiving your father for things he’s done, or lots of these kids can relate to the insecurity and the hopeless feeling and then when you hear a song like The Last Night with the message that God’s always there for you, that He created you for a purpose, that you’re special.  You know, people aren’t used to hearing stuff like that anymore in our society so it really resonated with people out there.

 And it’s a real welcomed communication.  What you’re doing for me and for other people is you’re encouraging other ministries to get out of this comfort zone and go out into the darkness where we’re really needed.  I mean how many times did Christ tell us to get out there and let His Light shine.

That’s true, and our culture, Christian and non-Christian alike is so self-oriented.  It’s almost like well, I need more of this teaching because I don’t feel equipped, but you know what, you are equipped and you’ll be better at what you do giving the message of Christ out to people if you actually get out there and do it because then you learn how to care for people as you’re giving out more.   Even non-Christians are like, ‘I need to fulfill myself with the newest thing, I need the newest iPod, you know, I need the best MySpace page.’  We’ve turned so inward and so selfish. 

It’s far better to give than receive and there’s such a fulfillment in giving to others by focusing yourself on other people and meeting their needs.  We find that when we do that, we’re more fulfilled and our needs are being met because we’re meeting someone else’s.

And speaking of that, a major focus of Skillet is to continue to dive into the darkness with the Light of Christ in your music and your heart.  I would think The Lord is blessing you individually and as a band for not playing it safe and venturing into the world of the unsaved. 

It’s amazing when you’re actually obedient to what God’s called you to do.  I don’t think that what we do is something everybody’s called to do, but when He’s called you to do it, He gives you His grace to do it and there’s such a fulfillment to do it. 

Playing the club scene is actually more uncomfortable for me, and for John as well, because we were both raised in Christian homes, you know, giving our lives to Jesus at an early age, and we never did the party scene so that world is a bit awkward to me and I’m trying not to act awkward with all the things I see when we’re there, but you know, again, I’m just so touched by the hopelessness out there.  It’s one of those things when you grow up in church that you hear about, you know, ‘people without Christ they are hopeless,’ is something people always talked about in church, but when you actually see it, it’s moving because you know that Christ can fulfill that need and bring hope and give wholeness to a life that is just headed down a terrible path.

We did a show with Flyleaf last year and we were at a table after the show selling CD’s and talking to people, and this big ‘ole guy came up to John after, and he wasn’t really even there to see the bands, he was a friend of the club owner.  He came up to John and he’s got piercings and tattoos, he’s a real scary, bodyguard looking type of guy, and he came up to John and John always intros songs, he intros The Last Night by talking about cutting and suicide and how there’s a God who’s there for you and that you’re special and created for a purpose, so this guy came up to John after and said, ‘you know, when you did that song, that really touched me.’   And this big ‘ole guy starts crying and put his head on John’s shoulder so John started praying for him.  It’s amazing to see God moving on people who you just don’t expect, but you know He’s God and He’s gonna do what He wants and if He wants to touch someone, He does.  That is just that most fulfilling thing to me.