Screen Door

Rich Mullins picks a deliberately absurd comparison: faith without works is “about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.” The humor does the teaching. A door built to let air in has no place below the waterline, and belief that never touches action is just as out of place.

Verse by verse he sharpens the point. Having faith and “playing make believe” can feel alike, yet “One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep.” He urges listeners to “take a leap off of the ship / Before you claim to walk on water,” and pictures works as the second arm: “It’ll take two strong arms to hold on tight.”

The third section grounds it theologically: “Faith comes from God and every word that He breathes,” given to us “so you can give it hands and feet.” The whole piece leans on James 2:17 and 2:26, and the closing image of “a song you can’t sing” says that faith has to be put into practice to be alive. The tone is light, but the challenge is direct, and it sits beside Ephesians 2:8 as a reminder that the gift is meant to be used.