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Your last album, Add to the Beauty, seemed like the beginnings of a call to social justice, and Tell Me What You Know feels more like a play-by-play of what that might actually look like. What else have you seen that helped you create these songs?

Groves I wrote Add to the Beauty before I knew what it meant. I was trying to cast this vision, paint this picture. It was like a piper's song, you know? And I had heard the song myself and had gone wandering out into the streets: What is that? Man, that is the kingdom of God. And so I was trying in Add to the Beauty to capture whatever I was feeling. I was excited and scared at the same time. I told [my husband] Troy, "Something big is happening, and I still don't think we really fully know what the chain reaction might be." The start was with Add to the Beauty, and I was really restless and hungry.

About that time, I was introduced to the work of International Justice Mission (IJM). I heard stories of these young girls [forced into prostitution in Southeast Asia] in these brothels. These things are illegal in these countries. IJM, led by Gary Haugen, realized we could use the laws that were on the books. God is a God of justice, and there are people who have a heart for justice and mercy and walk humbly with their God. IJM realized we could do something to intervene on behalf of these girls. And I cried and cried when I learned about their work and about these children. It just killed me.

I picked up Gary Haugen's book Terrify No More, which is about their work in Cambodia. They literally eradicated the trade of young children in this area of Cambodia that had been the number one place for child perpetrators to go when they wanted to abuse young girls. And now you cannot find a minor [in the sex trade] in that area!

That's phenomenal.

Groves In Terrify No More Gary says "In the times of the crushing of the innocent, in times of great despair, I used to ask 'Where is God?' But now my plea has changed. I no longer ask 'Where is God?' but 'Where are God's people?' I remember reading that and jumping to my feet. I went to Troy and said, "We have not been the Good Samaritan. We've been the guy walking by. We have every excuse for why we're not entering into the lives of people who are suffering. The next time I see a neighbor on the side of the road hurt, I am going to run [to help], not walk. I want to be quick."

The next day, Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Troy and I were looking at each other, and we just said, "Lord, what do we do?" So we just tried to run, to put those things in action.

So where Add to the Beauty was this whole awakening to the flesh and bone of the gospel, this album is a clarification of terms: What does it mean to add to the beauty?How are you adding to the beauty? You cannot go out and sing these songs without rethinking how you live your life.

I love the fact that these new songs deal with huge global problems in terms of individuals, real flesh and blood people. "I Saw What I Saw" does that beautifully. Who are the people in the second verse of that song?

Groves That one gets me every time. I have a hard time even talking about it, and I had to go gather myself many times when I was trying to do the vocals.

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