One of the most counter-cultural hit songs you’ll ever hear has been blessing listeners around the world this summer. I Am They’s “Scars” is a heartfelt anthem that points to the redemptive power of our greatest struggles in God’s hands. Lead singer Matt Hein explains that the message is both universal and deeply personal.
“The whole song started with just a look at our own personal story. I remember walking in—I wrote the song with a couple friends—we had this idea to express our story and our journey in a personal, kind of vulnerable way. To ultimately come out saying that we’re thankful for these things in our life.”
“I think that that’s the beauty of experiencing these kinds of things with Christ. We can actually turn our pain into praise because Jesus takes our brokenness and makes it into beauty. He takes our trials and turns them into triumphs. That was the name of our record, Trial and Triumph. And that was really the heartbeat of that message of Trial and Triumph was the song ‘Scars’—to say, ‘God, thank You. Ultimately, I’m going to praise You even out of the darkness. Even out of the pain of the scars.’”
That approach—being truly open with their own struggles and not trying to hide them—extends beyond this single. Their website introduces each band member by pointing to the greatest spiritual struggle they’ve faced in their life and how God redeemed it. It’s obviously a brave decision. So why did they chose to be that profoundly open?
“The reality around us is that so many people are struggling through the same issues. And maybe God has us where He has us to just shed some light, to cast some light, and give some permission to somebody else to share their story through us being open to sharing. So we just opened up about it, and it started there on the website. Then through the song ‘Scars,’ we’ve gotten to share that message of our personal testimonies from [the] stage through that. We’ve been able to at least stand with people in prayer, and be available for ministry even after shows—just seeing what God can do with those stories. That’s ultimately what it’s all about! That’s your purpose. That’s my purpose.”
Matt Hein is the lead singer of I Am They. They’ve crafted worship-filled anthems like the contagious “My Feet Are on the Rock” and the track touching hearts across the world this summer, “Scars”.