I’ve said some (relatively) nice things about Christian Rock on this site, insisting that the genre, like almost all genres, isn’t uniformly bad. I actually rather admire the early ‘Jesus Rockers’ like Phil Keaggy and Larry Norman; I think highly of several acts that at least have their roots in the genre (Evanescence, Plumb); and I found Amy Grant’s early Christian stuff to be, at any rate, more interesting than her pure Pop efforts. But there is a reason nobody respects this genre, and that’s because far too much of it consists of guys like Chris Tomlin. This song is so bland and spineless that acts like Air Supply and the Starland Vocal Band look downright robust in comparison. This might be somewhat forgivable if the music was pretty, but with its obnoxiously buzzing guitars, the song actually has a viscerally ugly sound. As for the lyrics, I’ve heard worse in religious songs (including pretty much anything by Daniel Webster Whittle), but they don’t have a single scrap of originality or genuine effort put into them…they’re just a bunch of warmed-over cliches recycled from old hymns. Mr. Tomlin, if you really wrote this song for the glory of your God, don’t you think He might appreciate it more if you actually tried at some point?
Verdict: Bad.