Shaun Groves has returned with his fourth studio release, Third World Symphony, available at digital outlets starting Aug. 30. The singer/songwriter’s newest music was generated from his global travel and work with Compassion International, a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children in 26 countries from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty, and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
The journey that produced
Third World Symphony started with a single trip to El Salvador, where Groves traveled to visit Yanci, one of four children his family sponsors through Compassion International. Compelled to act, Groves and his family simplified their lifestyle in order to give more, and he hit the road, speaking about justice and mercy and releasing children from poverty.
This trip turned into many with Compassion International. A poignant experience during a trip with ministers in Ethiopia led to the decision to create new music.
“My music is not as weighty as the lives these people had lived,” confesses Groves. “I realized how much the third world was teaching me. That’s where the idea for this record started.” Along the way, music became not a career but a small piece of a much bigger mission.
“I know that through music and speaking we’ve been able to release children from poverty, but I feel like those children have even more so released me from wealth, from a narrow perspective,” says Groves. “They’ve taught me about grace, and what it means to be truly thankful. They’ve taught me about simplicity and generosity and purpose, and about beauty and joy that exists in places that are rusty and broken and corrupt. So I guess in a sense this record is a tribute, trying to redeem the term 'Third World.' Too often we just feel sorry for them, but they’re beautiful, life-giving people I love to be around.”
Groves says his album is a departure from what he's done in the past, musically and lyrically. There are fewer “me” and “I” lyrics, and a lot of “we” and “us” lyrics. It is a testament to Groves' songwriting ability to be able to take such massive issues, like the need for social justice, and distill them into an accessible, moving four-minute song.
I had the great opportunity to interview Shaun about his songs “Down Here” and “Kingdom Coming.”
Please tell me about the background in writing the songs "Down Here" and “Kingdom Coming.”
There are two ways that songs come out for me. Some come very quickly and some take me years to write. “Welcome Home”, “Abba Father” and “Satellite” came quickly--within hours. As I get older, maybe my brain doesn’t work quite that quickly anymore.
“Down Here” took me many months, even a year to write. The song began at the start of a hard year. A good friend of mine was battling alcoholism and his marriage ended. I would have weekly phone calls with him to encourage him and remind him that God still loves him, is bigger than his addiction and has a purpose for his life.
I had finished a particularly hard phone call with him where he told me this was going to be our last call. I found out that he was homeless. He was living in a Salvation Army homeless shelter and he had lost his wife, his three kids and was now living in his truck. He was in a desperate situation in life. At the same time, my favorite uncle Joel was dying of cancer and I was dealing with bouts of depression, personally. I was dealing with my own brokenness and all these dark things were happening in my life. As I sometimes do, I sat down at the piano as therapy.
The first verse talks about “what in this life ain’t passing.” I had just visited my uncle in the hospital as he was passing. He was making peace with his passing, but I was struggling with the passing of life and how everyone I love will one day be gone. The first verse is about my uncle. The second verse is about wars in the world, corruption in government and about my friend’s situation. There’s no hope in government, kings, crowns, empty religion. Everything is broken and we’re surrounded by brokenness and ultimately death. The therapy session at my piano ended up with me realizing that Jesus came to die for all of that brokenness around us. As governments, people's lives, and the economy fails, as addictions ravage us, we’re not alone. Jesus is down here with us now.
“Kingdom Coming” is about how Jesus taught us to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” And the next part I overlooked until recently. The next part of this model prayer reveals what the kingdom looks like, how it comes. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Whenever God's will is done below as it is above, God reigns and rules, He is king and His kingdom comes. Jesus called this "good news."
The kingdom is good news for me because it means the days I have left on earth don't have to be spent waiting to die and get to heaven, but instead they can be lived in such a way that heaven comes through me and gets to earth. Every day, every talent, minute, dollar, relationship- it's all purposed. It's all a gift to be spent bringing the Kingdom, doing God's will on earth as it is in Heaven.
Do you have some Bible verses that connect with the messages of the songs?
The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-10: “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Jesus called this "good news," Mark 1:14-15: After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus said the kingdom is also good news for the poor in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
What’s the takeaway message about the songs?
“Down Here” is about how the faith I grew up with didn’t offer me comfort in those moments of pain. I grew up thinking that there’s no comfort for me here and now, just focusing on how when I die, I’ll be in Heaven. Growing up in church, I only heard how Jesus came so that we can one day be in Heaven. Emmanuel, God with us, means that Jesus is here with us this day. We don’t need to wait to be with Him in Heaven. This day, wrestling with my own sin and doubt, this day God is with us. That’s the blessing in those hard moments of life. I need to lean into that belief that God hasn’t abandoned me. His arms are open wide and He wants me to cast my cares onto Him.
“Kingdom Coming” is about how the Bible is full of exclamations of God's concern for the poor, His desire for them to be treated justly (Proverbs 19:7) and mercifully (Proverbs 18:23), for His people to give them equality (2 Corinthians 8:3-14). The song is a reminder to me and Christians everywhere that our citizenship is in Heaven (Phillipians 3:20) and it spreads not by sword (John 18:36) but unlike the kingdoms of this world (Isaiah 40:21-24), the kingdom we serve has no borders and no flags and no end. To the rich lacking purpose and the poor lacking hope, this is good news.
Here are the lyrics to “Down Here”:
What in this life ain’t passing?
Big deals and beggars end in ashes
All go from cradle to casket
Down here
What in this world ain’t busted?
Crowns and cathedrals rusted
Is there a thing we can trust in
Down here
Up there
The prayers of generations split the clouds The groans of all creation turn to shouts Up there The One who has no start and no goodbye The One who mourns our fall hears our cry And comes to live with us and die for us Down here
What in my heart ain’t twisted?
I’ve kissed for less than thirty pieces
Oh, God, can heaven even reach me – so far Down here
Up there
The One who has no start and no goodbye
The One who mourns our fall hears our cry Up there The prayers of generations split the clouds The groans of all creation turn to shouts Up there The One who has no start and no goodbye The One who mourns our fall hears our cry And comes to live with us and die for us and live through us Down here
(Emmanuel, God with us
Our King has come to bring salvation
Emmanuel, God with us
Our king has come for us
Our king has come)
Here are the lyrics to “Kingdom Coming”:
Oh, God what do we see and hear
Your kingdom coming
Oh, God why do we bleed and fear
Your kingdom coming
Let it come in us
Let it come through us-
‘Til the sword is spared
And the bread is shared
‘Til the dying’s done
Let your kingdom come
‘Til the rich ones give
And the poor ones live
‘Til the weak are strong
Let your kingdom come
Oh, God what do we pray down here
Your kingdom coming
Oh, God why do we slave through tears
Your kingdom coming
Let it come in us
Let it come through us-
Oh, God what do we pray down here
Your kingdom coming
Your mercy come
Your justice come
Your will be done through us on earth
Your healing come
Your peace will come
Your will be done through us on earth
“Down Here” is the stand-out “gourmet” song on the album and identifies the need for social justice in the here and now with Shaun emotionally singing, “What in this life ain’t passing? Big deals and beggars end in ashes, all go from cradle to casket, down here.”
The song shifts to the Gospel of salvation: “Up there, The One who has no start and no goodbye, The One who mourns our fall our and hears our cry.” The song ends with the merge of our earthly Kingdom of God on earth and our eternity with God in Heaven:“to live with us and die for us, down here” along with a chorus of “Emmanuel, God with us.”
I haven’t heard a song that convicting and emotionally stirring since “Blessings” by Laura Story. It is my new all-time favorite song by Shaun Groves. You can’t help but want to reach out and be the Kingdom of God on earth as beautifully expressed in “Kingdom Coming,” with these prayerful lyrics: “Let it come in us, Let it come through us. Oh, God what do we pray down here, Your kingdom coming.”
Amen. I find myself raising my hands in worship after listening to these great songs, and then I’m compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus.
