James - It has been real encouraging to share that mutual relationship with them. They have expressed to us a few times throughout the tour that they're really appreciative of the fact that we have the same type of standards that they do because it's unfortunate that it's rare, but it is rare.
Kim - I know things are done a little differently here in the deep south because I was born and raised here in the "Bible Belt".
James - (laughs) Really? I would have never guessed from the accent!
Kim - (laughs) Oh yeah ... I know my cosmopolitan accent can fool you (NOT!)
James - I'd have said New York or Boston! (laughs)
Kim - I get strange looks because of my tattoos and some people question how I can be in ministry. Is that something you have to deal with since you have ink and piercings?
Ryan - Well, where we're from piercings and tattoos are not a sign of rebellion. Actually there's a really big association called the Christian Tattoo Association and it's huge. There's tons and tons of people. It's not frowned upon where we're from but when we come down to the Bible Belt we do get some looks. I have my eyebrow pierced and both of my ears pierced and they're both gauged and all that stuff. And my hair's a little long. So there's some conservatives that aren't big fans but for the most part people understand that we're reaching a generation that they can't reach. You get the occasional wacko, but what can you do?
James - I get Leviticus 19:28 emails a few times a week. I just don't respond to all of them. Some people will have a real accusatory tone, a real angry tone. In the past, when I've tried to reach them in response, it's just spiraled downward so I've decided that these people don't really need to hear my answer because they don't care. But some people will be like "Hey, I came across this verse in the Bible and I notice that this is something that you're into and I was wondering what you thought about this". I'll usually email them back. Usually they're like "Wow, thank you. I didn't even think you'd email me back!"
Jeff - A lot of new Christians are honestly curious and it's another way to reach out to kids.
Kim - Don't feel too bad because I get them too. The very people that call me on Leviticus 19:28 ignore the rest of that chapter, and how it talks about men shaving their faces and wearing clothes made of more than one type of cloth.
James - It's funny to me because most of the people who would attack you for Leviticus 19:28 - I don't want to sound angry at these people - but most of these people would fit every other rule as a mismark. So it's kind of funny.
Jeff - It's cool too. For instance when we were doing preproduction for our new record right before we started this tour and James and I were walking downtown and he has some Hebrew on his left arm, you wouldn't believe how many people asked him about it. What it means and what it says ... It's just constantly able to witness to people by having this artwork on your arm. It's awesome. It's not like we need tools to witness to people because that's not what it's about but at the same time it's like "Wow ... the Lord totally uses it." It's not even about changing something bad to good because it was never bad in the first place. It's just the Lord using it.
James - It's kind of like rock music was never bad in the first place, it was just made that way by people who were choosing bad over good.
Ryan - Elvis was the worst! (laughs) The way he danced!
Kim - Three years is not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things.
James - No, but we have had a lot of experience throughout those three years that make it seem a lot longer than that.
