Listening In preview - Michael Card

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next, an excerpt from tomorrow’s Listening In. This week, Warren Smith talks with Christian singer, songwriter, and Bible teacher: Michael Card. He released his first album nearly 40 years ago and has sold more than 4 million records. He’s a popular seminar speaker on theology and art, and counsels many young artists.

WARREN SMITH: Well you know, one of the things that feels to me that you’ve also started to become more and more of a mentor to younger folks. Andrew Peterson tells a story about you, where he wrote you a letter and said that he wanted you to be his mentor. 

MICHAEL CARD: I don’t remember.

SMITH: And according to Andrew…

CARD: Okay.

SMITH: You wrote back, or maybe you, I don’t know, sent him an email back or whatever, and said, “I’ve got no interest in being your mentor. I want to be your friend.”

CARD: Yeah. Yeah, well I learned that from Bill Lane. When Dr. Lane mentored me for 26 years, and we never used the word mentor. We just, we just walked together and, yeah, well that’s what people need.

By and large, what we need is to know that we’re not alone in the world. That’s what I needed when I was in college. And Bill really gave me that. He shared his strong side, but he also shared what he was struggling with. And that’s what made the difference. 

SMITH: Well sort of in that spirit, um, I know Mike anybody listening to this—fans and friends of yours—would hope you have many, many, many years ahead.

CARD: Me too.

SMITH: But, you know…

CARD: Pain-free years. Many pain-free years.

SMITH: Yeah, well, we probably are closer to the end than the beginning. How do you want people to remember Mike Card?

CARD: I always wanted to be remembered by the work I did. I think early on, maybe I wanted to make a name for myself and that sort of thing. But one of the things I think that’s a little bit hard to deal with getting older is, I don’t think, I don’t think that’s how it works. 

I think our culture works by making people famous, not their work, famous, and so from that point of view, it’s a little disappointing looking back, back on it, but I think there have been enough people that I think their feet have been washed by some of the things I’ve done that, I’m good. I’m good with that.

EICHER: Michael Card and Warren Smith. You can hear the complete conversation, Listening In tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts.

(Photo/Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) Michael Card

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