"All said and done, I stand alone"
Widespread response to a band brings on many changes... tighter schedules, extended time away from family and friends, renewed commitment between members, less time for self-examination...But more opportunity for the public to observe and scrutinize the whole entity that is "Jars of Clay." In the midst of assimilating life as a band, Jars are also forced to realize the impact their own lives can have on others, their fans, their crew, and the people they come in contact with every day. Examining their own faults and frailties, Jars understand the tremendous responsibilty that defines the term "role model." To be a role model for Christ is a true gift from God... a gift Jars often feel they don't deserve, but take very seriously.
Dan Haseltine: We travel quite a bit with a lot of non-Christians, a lot of our crew are not Christians. We've had various different opening acts that have been non-Christians and I really feel like our ministry is very much to our crew, to the bands that we're on tour with, to the people that we spend more than just an hour and a half with. Those are the people that see our lifestyle and can either choose to say, "Well tell us about this Jesus that you guys talk about. Tell us about why you do the things that you do." When we're able to have relationships with people that draw them into that, and draw them into curiosity or wanting to know what we're about, that's really our ministry and that's happened quite a bit with a lot of the opening bands that we've had. The true issue is how much of Christianity are we sharing in love, how much of Christianity are we showing people in our lifestyle...(1999) WOW
Stephen Mason: Everyone with a guitar, everyone in a band is a role model to some greater or lesser degree. Did we immediately get that or want it? Well, no! Especially when we realized the responsibilities that came with that. And still, we make mistakes on a daily basis in regard to that. But there's hope that through these opportunities that we get to play in places like the House of Blues and all over the country, that we can do something positive, as just being an alternative to maybe some of the stuff that's out there. (2000) House of Blues
Dan Haseltine: The one thing that kids have a grasp on is honesty. They have a grasp on a person who's really genuine and truly wants to get to know them and truly wants to know their needs... It's really about getting to know their hearts and helping them make good decisions. There's such a bottom line that kids can see past just about anything. They can see when you're honest about saying that you love them… that you care about them. So I think it's just important that that's what we focus on. (2000) Interlinc