Chris Tomlin Recalls ‘Divine Connection’ With Syrian Pastor

By Movieguide® Contributor

Grammy award-winning singer Chris Tomlin calls it a “privilege” that one of his melodies became the “song of faith” for a pastor in a nation where Christians are persecuted in masses.

“A couple years ago I met this pastor from Syria and that’s enough right there—a pastor from Syria—what that means,” Tomlin said in an interview with Worship Leader last month. He “met the Lord through dreams. Jesus came to him in dreams and he was telling about his life and having to plant a church in Syria and lose everything he’s ever known—his family, his business, his friends. Everything.”

“And think every day could be his last day on this earth,” the “Holy Forever” singer continued. “And just what it looks like to walk a life of faith in Jesus in that kind of environment and I was with this guy and with a friend and getting to meet him and he’s speaking in broken English. And my friend said, ‘Have you ever heard of Christian music?’”

The man replied “Never,” but then said he actually has heard one song, and he plays it every day.

“‘This is my song every day that I sing in the mornings before I go out and share my faith because this is my song of faith,’ the pastor told Tomlin.

“And he looks at me and he goes, ‘I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of Angel Armies is always by my side’ and he’s talking to me like I don’t know the lyrics,” Tomlin explained, “and he’s like the one who reigns forever, he’s a friend of mine’ and I mean, tears just start flowing down my face. My friend said, ‘Do you know who wrote that song?”

The man said he had no idea who wrote or sang the original song. Then, Tomlin’s friend told the pastor that Tomlin wrote it.

“He just grabs me and just gives me this hug and he’s like, ‘This is my song of faith.’ And I’m just thinking, ‘Lord, how do you let me be part of a song that this pastor in Syria, where it’s life and dead every day, this is the song.’ And he literally, he goes, ‘Do you want to hear it in Arabic?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’

The man pulled out his phone, which only had one song it—Tomlin’s “Angel Armies,” sung in Arabic.

“It’s this guy in Arabic signing it, and I [was] just like, ‘Lord…’ It was just one of those things where it was for sure divine connection because yeah, I mean, I just randomly met this person and it was amazing but to think that you get to be part of songs like that in somebody’s life, what a privilege. That goes so far beyond accolades, awards. Those are so small compared to something like that.”

This story is a testament that he’s accomplished what he’s set out to do—help people build their relationship with and faith in God.

“I have to put out songs that bridge the gap,” Tomlin told CBN. “I want to write songs that people sing to God. There’s nothing wrong with a three-minute pop song, but I want these songs to be special to the church. There’s more of a laser focus on that than ever.”

“It’s songs that become part of the fabric of the culture,” Tomlin said. “That’s God’s spirit, God’s favor on a song. And to be part of that in some little way is so special. It lasts so much longer than quick fame.”

Tomlin recently just traveled throughout Europe, singing and sharing the Gospel, and is about to embark on the second half of his “Holy Forever World Tour.” The next leg of his tour, which starts Aug. 14, will be across Canada and the States.

He posted on Instagram this week, “The Holy Forever World Tour kicks back at the end of the summer in CANADA and I could not be more excited… tickets are going fast so if you want to join us – make sure to get yours now!”