If you Google “significance of the number 26,” the first result states that “The numerology number 26 is all about unconditional love, being patient while going through trials and tribulations, giving from a place of love, and finally facing life head-on when it’s presented to you.” There has been perhaps no person who embodied this definition so wholly as Rich Mullins. September 19 will mark the 26th anniversary of Rich’s passing in a tragic car accident at the young age of forty-one. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t blame yourself. Rich’s fame has always been limited to a small demographic. Although it’s nearly impossible, I will attempt to summarize his beautiful and somewhat tragic life.
Rich was born in 1955 to a Christian farming family in rural Indiana. He was an oddball from childhood, and often at odds with his classically masculine father. Although he attended church from a young age, he did not begin to identify deeply with his Christian faith until his late teenage years. Throughout his childhood, he was fascinated by music.
Rich’s musical inclinations would further sprout in college, soon after which he traveled to Nashville to find his place in the contemporary Christian music scene. It soon became clear that he was an anomaly even among his fellow artists. Modern Christian pop music has been defined by uncreative lyrics, peppy messages, and little discussion of difficult concepts. But Rich wasn’t interested in appearing flashy, undoubting, or even put-together. His ragamuffin style of gospel was a breath of fresh air in an industry that prioritized image over deep reflection.
Ironically, Rich grew to fame after the release of perhaps his most upbeat song “Awesome God.” But the vast majority of his works are deep, contemplative, and poetic. The Nashville music scene quickly became unfulfilling for Rich and he went off to live in relative isolation among the Navajo people of the southwestern United States. When pressed for the reasons behind his move, he told the press quite frankly that he thought he might find more of Christ among the pagan Navajo than in the watered down version of the Gospel peddled by his contemporaries.
Throughout his life, Rich lived in average sized houses despite accumulating a fortune of several million dollars. In an effort to resist temptation he gave a close friend complete control over his bank account. Whenever he wanted to make a large purchase (almost invariably as a gift for some poor family) he would call his friend and ask if he had enough money to buy it. He never knew how much money he had at one time and lived so frugally that there was no risk of ever running out of cash. Stories of Rich’s generosity have spread far and wide. For instance, he was once standing in line buying groceries and overheard a family in front of him discussing their impending eviction. Before they even left the store Rich had promised to buy them a house and charge no rent. Although this tale is unverified by Rich himself, many others have come forward with similar stories.
Due to his many acts of kindness, it would be easy to put Rich on a pedestal as a shining example of virtue. But the truth, as in most cases, is much more complicated. Rich would be the first to admit that he was a broken, struggling man. A lonely alcoholic with two broken-off engagements, he was often hung-over and depressed. But what made Rich so special was his honesty. He never tried to make himself seem more perfect than he was. His whole life was a prayer to his God for forgiveness and deliverance.
Perhaps the greatest parallel to Rich’s life can be found in the Japanese art form of Kintsugi, which mends broken pottery by emphasizing the cracks and breakage points. As artist Makato Fujimara explains, they “highlight the fractures using Japan lacquer and gold.” The philosophy is that beauty can be found in the way we build from our flaws. Throughout Rich’s life, he too never attempted to hide his flaws. He viewed his errors and missteps as reminders of his own frailty and finiteness.
Whether or not you are a Christian, take a moment to remember Rich Mullins on September 19. We are all broken, but most of us hide our cracks behind a brightly painted mask. The lesson of Rich’s life is that greatness is not having your life together, but recognizing that you don’t. In the increasingly individualistic society we inhabit, it is tempting to grow entitled and arrogant. The challenge facing this generation is to push aside our egos and accept that we are complicated and imperfect. Only then can humankind move forward in a way that benefits all.