“We Miss Him, But My Faith in God Will Not Waver”: Craig Morgan Speaks to Bunnie XO About Holding Onto Hope After Losing His Son, Jerry

Craig Morgan has stopped by Bunnie XO's Dumb Blonde Podcast to reflect on his musical journey so far, his latest American Soundtrack EP and the tragic loss of his son, Jerry, in 2016. Jerry was 19 when he passed away in a boating accident in Kentucky.

When delving into the latter, Morgan offered some insightful words regarding how, rather than letting it crumble, his faith in God ultimately evolved in light of that shock accident.

Over the course of his storied career so far, Morgan has woven his faith and spirituality throughout his discography, most notably on hits such as ‘That's What I Love About Sunday’ and the deeply vulnerable ‘The Father, My Son, And the Holy Ghost’.

During his conversation with Bunnie, when asked about how he held onto his faith in the aftermath of the loss of his son, Morgan muses, “No, I can't say that I was mad at [God]. I would not question [Him], but question, ‘Really, God?’...As a Christian...I know I made mistakes, I've done things wrong, but I thought I was doing pretty good...”

He expands, “Bad shouldn't happen to you”, before adding, “That's not the way it works, though. As I worked through all that, I realized God was never punishing me. He never was, and I don't believe for one second that God took my son. I believe the Devil did it, and I do know that God could stop him, and He didn't, for some reason. And what I have to accept is that that happened. A lot of people seek out the reason why God let that happen. Was it so that all those kids that got baptized after my son died would get baptized? Was it because of this? Was it because of the charity that was established in his name that's going to help all these kids?...I don't do that. I can't, because you'll chase that forever, and all you're doing is looking for justification. And for me, there is no justification”.

Morgan tears up as he emphasises, “He's gone, and that's it. My youngest said it - ‘We just have to live with the suck for the rest of our lives’. And we miss him, but my faith in God will not waver”, adding, “But it doesn't mean that you don't have bad days”.

He movingly underlines, “You know, I think there are moments in your life where you're supposed to question Him. I think when you question God, your faith grows, because he educates you...I don't want to make anybody upset. I want to encourage people”.

Morgan concludes, “The song I wrote, ‘The Father, My Son And the Holy Ghost’, when I wrote that, I never had any intentions of anyone ever hearing that song. We released it to the platforms. You know, we didn't even go to Radio with that song. But it became the number one most downloaded song in the history of music”.

The Tennessee singer-songwriter has always been vocal about his faith, but it's powerful hearing him delve into his ongoing relationship with God in light of this tragic loss, and touch on how it's healthy to question God's intentions, so that you can learn.

Country music remains a genre that tackles the thornier experiences in life, such as loss, grief and heartbreak, with more candour and openness than any other. Morgan's heartfelt ‘The Father, My Son, And the Holy Ghost’ epitomises this, and he continues to stand as as beacon of light for others going through similar struggles.

Donate to the Craig Morgan Charity Fund here.