My favorite longstanding artist(s) is the two-piece band known as Twenty Øne Piløts aka TØP. They have been my #1 musicians since 2016. I could not have come across them at a better time. I had just started seminary at Liberty University Online, and they were with me from the beginning. The lyrics are what first caught my attention.
You will be hard-pressed to come across a song that does not have some aspect of their Christian roots and steadfast determination to fight for positive mental health. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun — the two guys that make up the band — were raised Christians, both were interns at their church, and Tyler Joseph’s dad was the principal at his Christian High School. While those vague stats don’t define a Christian, it is the heart that makes that determination.
Tyler and Josh definitely have heart. You will not find a concert more entertaining than their show. Especially considering it’s only the two of them. They have a storyline that has been building over the course of the last 15 years about. In a nutshell, it’s about defeating demons, escaping death, and fighting for life.
While they don’t explicitly witness through their lyrics, a Christian would find it borderline impossible not to make the deep connections in their music. Those that are not yet believers who do not have ears to hear, may at some point after many listens, grow to have ears to hear the message that the guys are putting out there. Only God’s Word can change hearts, but most of the time, seeds need to be planted first.
Last weekend my husband and I went to their show in Cleveland, Ohio. It was the third tour in which we have been granted the opportunity to see them. It was odd, however, being away from NC while Helene came through the area. It almost gave me a sense of guilt, thinking that I should be home roughing it out in my home state. While our city did not get hit bad, little more than an hour down the road the devastation was unleashed. I say all of this because this band seemingly is always there to help me to relax, and their timing is always right.
Mental health is something that even in 2024 does not get the attention it deserves. Christians have the tendency to suppress the idea that something is not quite right, because if there is, if they admit to having a mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar, etc, then what does that say about us? Well, what it says about us is that we live in a fallen world. We all have a sin nature. The only one that is not subject to such attributes is Jesus. If we deny that we have a problem, then what did Jesus die for? This is where TØP’s lyrical depths comes to play…
We have to admit that we are all subject to mental illness, spiritual warfare, demonic activity. If we don’t admit our shortcomings and struggles, we are saying that we are fine and do not have any need for Jesus. We are not OK without God’s guidance. The way we become not Ok is by claiming that we are the inverse. We as Christians need to be open and honest with ourselves so that we can confess our struggles with Christ and the church. We all fall short. When we are weak, we are strong right? The more we see our weakness and bring it to light, the stronger we become.
Ok, I have so much more I can say about that. But I am going to end it right here for now. Being a NC resident, I cannot end a post without including a link to help those affected by Helene either through giving directly through my Samaritan’s Purse fundraising page or by purchasing a shirt from the Mountain Waffles collection from my Etsy shop in which all proceeds go to those affected by Helene. Help me raise $1,000 by the end of September next year.
Thank you, good night, and stay alive |-/
https://fundraise.samaritanspurse.org/fundraiser/5853314
https://wafflesthechihuahua.etsy.com
Torchbearer the Chihuahua 
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