This latest CD is, of course, a collection of spiritual songs. However, it is not a simplistic, happy-happy-joy-joy work, even though there is still much joy to be had. The keynote song on the album is “I’m Gonna Love You through It,” already a hit song for Martina McBride. It’s sung from the perspective of a man that’s determined to love his woman through the trials and tribulations of breast cancer. Its lyric says the loving words every woman wishes their man would say. It will draw tears from all listeners because we’ve all been touched by cancer, whether personally or relationally.
The song “I’m Gonna Love You through It” is an anchor song for this album’s overall theme because the most of these tracks concern fighting the good fight of life, so to speak, even when it feels like a losing battle. One called “God Still Has a Plan,” for instance, encourages a brother or sister to realize that God wants to use everyone, all the time. It suggests that God will find work for us to do, even if we don’t feel worthy to serve Him. While “God Still Has a Plan” is a quiet and sobering recording, “You Can’t Take My Joy” is packed with fightin’ words. This upbeat bluegrass recording finds the singers standing toe-to-toe with the devil and reading him the riot act. Drawing on the story of Job from The Bible, which concerns a man that lost everything, yet still served God, this song’s lyric uses his tale as the inspiration to keep Satan and all his joy-stealing at bay.
The very next song, “Why,” asks the hard questions about the pain and suffering in life – such as the troubles Job went through. It’s the sort of song you don’t normally hear on Christian radio, but it asks the questions all Christians ask at one time or another, although sometimes quietly under their breath. “I Still Trust you” speaks of trusting God even when He doesn’t always do the things we want Him to, while “He Knows All about it” speaks of an all-knowing God that is well aware of our various pains.
The album ends with the hymn, “I Believe in a Hill Called Calvary.” It’s the perfect closing to an album filled with tough questions and harsh circumstances. It points back to Jesus’ death on the cross, the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. It’s a reminder that the Savior is well acquainted with man’s deep hurts because he was also hurt, both physically and spiritually, on that cross. This is why Christians put their trust in Him; One that understands them better than anybody else.
Why Can’t We is an album that resonates because it’s so real. Fantastic singing helps its cause because this is like the sugar that helps the medicine go down. The Isaacs aren’t living in any kind of fantasy land. Life is hard, and they know it all too well. However, no matter how hard it gets, nobody – but nobody – will ever steal away their joy.
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