With a world divided, MercyMe album focusing on common denominator

The Christian band MercyMe is hoping its new album will inspire Christians to focus on unity rather than continuing to be so divided. 

MercyMe released its 11th studio album on October 21 called Always Only Jesus. 

During the pandemic, they wrote over 40 songs. Some of those made it onto their previous album inhale (exhale) released on April 30, 2021. Some of the other songs made it onto their latest album. 

"This record is the songs that are hopefully pointing directly at Jesus and saying, this is the one thing that matters," says guitarist Michael John Scheuchzer in a video interview. "We can disagree about everything else in the world, but as believers, if we can come together and point to Him and agree on Him, then we can really see some change in the world."

Lead singer Bart Millard also shared about the divisive nature people took during COVID as well as over political matters as of late. 

"I don't know how much healing is in that versus we need to find the common denominator – that's Jesus," says Millard. "That's the only thing that's going to unify the Body of Christ. So, with Inhale, Exhale being about a lot of clever lyrics and us just wanting to try different stuff and having the time to do it, this one's more about ... it really is about Jesus!"

The album has 10 songs on it, hoping to point listeners to praising God. 

"I think we've always kicked the tires of our faith, but it doesn't necessarily mean we're stepping away from it. The song 'To Not Worship You' for us, personally, it was like, 'Oh, yeah, I have doubts, I wonder, I question a lot of things, but the one thing is it's to stop and actually remember, 'Oh, You're the God that moves mountains.' Eventually, it's like, who am I to ever think of not worshiping you if I truly understand who You are?"

The song 'Better Days' gives hope to people living in anxiety and fear of the future. 

"The one thing that I kept going back to, and I'd written it down a few times, was, 'The hands that are holding tomorrow are still holding on to us.'"