Justin Mosteller (lead vocalist/guitarist), Jeremy Menard (guitarist), Jordan Bailey (bassist) and drummer Michael Loy form the band Carrollton.They released their second project for Centricity Music, Sunlight and Shadows, September 18th.  The release features five original songs that were co-written by the group along with three acoustic tunes from the Jetlag Studio sessions. 

Lead single "Let Love Win" has six songwriters that include the members of Carrollton. The song comes from the hearts of these writers as they have witnessed, like the rest of the country, the unending string of violence that began earlier this year. The lyrics deliver God's message of peace, even when we are facing some of our darkest hours: "We believe Your love is the strongest way / You're tearing down walls and You break our chains / Even in this darkness hope will rise again / When we lay down our weapons we will let love win / Lord we lay down our weapons and we let love win." I had the chance to speak with Michael Loy about "Let Love Win."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

I apologize that you are getting the drummer's perspective! The song came from the Scripture 1st John 3:16. When we began recording the song in the studio, the chorus said "I believe Your love is the strongest way." But when we played it in the tracking room, there was a news channel on mute in the midst of covering the Baltimore riots. Also, where Jordan and I are from near Louisville, we've been seeing so much hate and arguing in our society. That day, the song switched from a personal declaration to an anthem for the Church with the changing of one word, "I" to "we." We hope people come alongside us and let love be the way we confront darkness and let hope rise again.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

1 John 3:16 (NIV): This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message): "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV): Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
 
1 John 4:21 (NIV): And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

John 8:10-12 (NKJV): "When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.' Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"

What is the takeaway message?

The love of Jesus is the only hope we have to break the chains of hate. It is a song of conviction that we wanted to sing night in and night out to remind ourselves what Jesus has called us to do. We feel strongly that in all things love should be our first step and the only thing we shout.
We want people to get back to what Christ has called us to do. That's harder to do if you are not a follower of Jesus and His teachings. But what if we as Christians put more emphasis on showing love, above everything else? Ultimately, let's show love to people. 

We truly believe that love can spark a conversation. Hopefully in those conversations, with Christ guiding us through those moments, that can start to bring healing and restoration. Without love, those conversations can cause more hatred and violence. That's our mindset, and 1st John 3:18 goes on to say, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." Not only do we have to show love in our conversations, but at some point we have to have actions with our words. Let's love people with our words, and let's go a step beyond that and love people with our actions as well.

Lyrics:
Lord Your love builds bridges that cannot be burned
It speaks truth that cannot be learned
It's a treasure we can never earn
It goes places we're afraid of going
It's not a fist it's a hand wide open
Reaching out to the down and broken

We believe Your love is the strongest way
You're tearing down walls and You break our chains
Even in this darkness hope will rise again
When we lay down our weapons we will let love win
Lord we lay down our weapons and we let love win

Lord Your love is a friend to its enemies
It takes a hit then turns a cheek
You laid down Your life for peace
Love won't cast a single stone
It's never proven by words alone
You come alive in our flesh and bones and in our souls

We believe Your love is the strongest way
You're tearing down walls and You break our chains
Even in this darkness hope will rise again
When we lay down our weapons we will let love win
Lord we lay down our weapons and we let love win

What if fighting for our beliefs
Looks more like surrendering
Though that's the hardest thing
What if standing up for what's right
Means laying down our pride
Even laying down our lives

We believe Your love is the strongest way
You're tearing down walls and You break our chains
Even in this darkness hope will rise again
When we lay down our weapons we will let love win
We believe Your love is the strongest way
You're tearing down walls and You break our chains
Even in this darkness hope will rise again
When we lay down our weapons we will let love win
Lord we lay down our weapons and we let love win

That Matthew 5:14-16 passage always convicts me to really try to live out that command to "let your light shine." What a great and awesome responsibility we have as followers of Jesus to "be the light of the world." When I first heard this song, I was immediately hooked by the message, knowing that it is connected to the two greatest commandments from Jesus to us: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and "love your neighbor as yourself." 

As the hymn sings, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." The band really says it well with their comments and this song. God explains love in 1st John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us." God's love was given at an outrageous cost, the life of His only begotten Son. "Love so amazing, so divine, it demands our lives, our minds and our souls." Not only should we love God because He first loved us, but we should also love others unconditionally because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

In his book "Love Does," Bob Goff described that "sometimes we present ourselves as a copy of who we are instead of the original version of ourselves because we don't want to get damaged." This song and "Love Does" are also about realizing how important it is to have your eyes open to the needs of others around you, and to serve others and care about people more than you think about your selfishness and doubts. This song connects with the saying by Saint Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."

Matthew 5 tells us "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept." One day there will be no more tears, no more sorrow and no more pain. Until that day, as Christians we can be the salt and light by living out the words of this song: "We believe Your love is the strongest way, You're tearing down walls and You break our chains. Even in this darkness hope will rise again, when we lay down our weapons we will let love win." Amen to that!

Watch the lyric video below.