was a vision of a pure and free life that was
possible because of the cross. And all Egan
had to do, was live in that truth. Of course,
that is not always an easy task. But Egan
continues, “As I made that decision and
continued to walk that path, it was amazing to watch this fear and anxiety start to
decrease. And it didn’t take months. It took
days of practicing that truth.
“I was in my office late one night and
pretty much everybody was gone. I had
my guitar and decided that I wasn’t going
to sing about how I want to be free, I am
free, you know? I am free to run, dance;
I’m free to live for God in the way that He’s
called me to live. I wanted a proclamation
of that truth. So it was the Lord and me
in an office. I wasn’t asking for freedom,
I was opening my eyes to it. I am and I
always have been free.”
That night the chorus was written as a prayer and proclamation to God,
from there Egan played the chorus with
his youth group and found that people
could track with it musically and emotionally. So he set out to write the verses and
make it complete. Since then it has literally
been around the world. It resonates with
Christians because it is a proclamation of
the power of the cross, and it lays claim
to God’s redeeming grace. As much as that
has been true around the world, it seemed
to be a grace that Egan’s home community
has needed as much as anyone. In recent
months New Life Church has been subject to a very public scandal. And while
the world could look on from the outside
and make their judgments, Egan and Desperation Band were in the thick of ministry—engaging with the pains and fears of
their community, as well as their own. That
is when the song, “I Am Free,” in a way,
came home. “There were a few weeks in
the church where we were just focusing
on taking care of the body,” shares Egan.
“Our worship services were a bit more
subdued. We had a major loss. But in that
grieving process, there came a point where
it was the healthy time to make the turn
and start to look to the future. And that’s
when we sang ‘I Am Free,’ and it was a significant moment for our church.”
Grabbing to the truth of the freedom
that has been given to us through the cross
is significant in every arena. “I Am Free”
helps us proclaim that and gives us a push
to begin living in that truth. W
“I’d wake up in the morning
and not want to get out of bed.
I didn’t want to face the next time
I’d have to go onto a stage
and lead worship.”
