Short Circuit                                                      

By Focus on the Family

September 2003

Recently, Focus on the Family had the chance to sit down with Short Circuit and discuss some issues that really hit home. It's been a long summer for, Orlando Hollinger, Dominic McNally and Elijah Damon, but between touring and just releasing their sophomore album, these are guys who aren't about to lose their focus by being in the spotlight. With passionate hearts for God and spiritual wisdom well beyond their years, they continue to encourage others to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

As I walked into the room to start the interview, I could sense a comfortable atmosphere, like I'd known these guys for years and we were just getting together for a short visit, one that's long overdue.

Jeans, T-shirts and some running shoes, (McNally decided to throw a hat in) is the attire this morning.

Hollinger sits leaned over in his chair with a foot over his lap, listening eagerly to my questions.

 Damon is relaxed, feet on the floor, twiddling his thumbs from time to time.

McNally found a spot on the comfy leather couch that's in front of the window, but for now, the blinds are closed to hide the parking lot behind it.

 Now, finding my seat, we shake hands and get to business.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

-Rick Fleming

 Colorado Springs, CO

Rick: Now a lot has gone on since we last sat down and talked. Tell me a little about some of the things you have been doing?

Orlando: We've been promoting our new album and we just got finished with the Summer Jam Fest in August, which has been really great, but really busy too.

Rick: Do you guys plan to take some time off once you get back to Nashville?

Orlando: Yeah, we're going to take a couple of months off to visit our families and take some time to really just dig deeper into the Word.

Dominic: Over the course of the past year, we've been pretty busy and even though we all take our daily alone time with God very seriously, we felt it was time to just sort of back out of the spotlight for awhile and really look at our hearts and do some in depth reflecting on our own relationships with the Lord.

Elijah: Yeah, and we would really appreciate it, if everyone kept us in their prayers, that we'd have an amazing time with the Lord and really grow from this experience.

Rick: Ah, you can count on it. Tell me some more about what the Lord has been doing in your life recently and what you've been able to see Him doing through you?

Orlando: It's been pretty amazing to see God working and the opportunities He has given us to be able to take His Word to people who otherwise wouldn't have the chance to experience His love and that has really humbled me and has kept me on my knees, knowing that it's only because of God I am able to accomplish this mission.

Elijah: I think we all feel really blessed by this opportunity to serve God and it puts things into perspective. We want to remind people that He can use you wherever you are, whether it be in a classroom, on Capital Hill or even just by being a kind neighbor, if you are obedient and submit yourself to His will, there is nothing that He can't do through you. And we tell people too, that it's not about us, or, the music you hear, because once the lights are turned off and the show is over the only thing that is left at the end of the night is Jesus and the impact He has made.

Dominic: The love and grace the Lord demonstrates in my life each and every day is what sustains me and gives me hope in my most desperate circumstances. Despite the fact that we as believers still fall short of the glory of God, the good news is, God knows that we are needy and that our greatest source of love is need-love, because we are so helpless and incapable of doing anything for ourselves. We sometimes wonder off, but He is always there to receive us with grace, as long as we humble ourselves and admit we've made a mistake and return to Him with our whole heart. There is no sin too great, that His blood isn't able to wash it away and cleanse us and purify us.

Elijah: It's easy sometimes and I speak from experience, to form habits that take us further from God without realizing it, and I can't stress enough the importance to really search your heart out and ask God to reveal to you the things that don't belong there and to truly surrender those things to Him. And I know how that sounds, I use to think, "Yeah, yeah, I've completely given my life to the Lord, 100%," but it's easier said than done, and I neglected to really examine my heart and acknowledge the things that I was struggling with, until I really felt like God was saying to me, "You've got to give this and this to Me, if you really want Me to use you." Satan will use anything to try and take us further from God. Whether it's sin that's haunting you, or, not being able to forgive someone for the hurt and pain they've caused. All sort of things, if we're not careful, will put stumbling blocks in our path. God wants us to be able to forgive, just like He forgave us. He's paid the price for our sin, just lay it at the foot of the cross and move on. When you're holding onto all those things, you're not glorifying God and testifying to His grace.

Rick: What is some advice you can give to teens and adults also on being pure and waiting on God?

Elijah: Well, God makes it very clear that we are to be pure, both in mind and body and He says in, 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." So no matter what age you are, God wants us all to set an example to non-believers and the believers as well. Purity is something that should be embraced and cherished. Often, so many people are being swept up in today's culture of focusing on ourselves, rather than the needs of others. It's Satan's way of having us focus on what we want instead of putting God's Will first and striving to be more like Christ and being a servant out of humility. Dating and having boyfriends and girlfriends prematurely, can easily sidetrack us, even if the only thing we're doing is going out to a movie and holding hands, we're wasting our energy and time on building that one relationship, often excluding our other relationships, just to break up with that person to find that our relationships with family members and God, as well as friends are falling apart. And when you aren't dating someone in particular, you're always looking for Mr. Right or Miss, as the case maybe, and you're missing what's really important. I'm not saying that guys and girls shouldn't interact, but the Bible says, "Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity." Interaction is exactly what is needed in order to become successful husbands and wives one day, but only if we're treating one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and are learning and growing in our relationship with the Lord on account of spending time together. When you're with a group of friends and no one is trying to impress anyone, you see each other for who the other really is, without the façade, which tends to happen a lot when dating. And it's the guys with the huge responsibility to be the initiators and pursuers and the protectors, but in today's society anything goes, the roles have been reversed and girls are just as aggressive as the guys, which can be intimidating, and it's sending mixed signals. God created us separately and our natures are what draw the line emotionally between our sexes.