Warren Barfield: The Pretzel Effect

by Linda Canup

In the 1960s, chaos theorist Edward Lorenz coined the phrase “butterfly effect” by asking, “If a butterfly in Brazil flaps its wings, can it set off a tornado in Texas?” But for singer/songwriter Warren Barfield, it was a pretzel falling on the living room floor that ultimately led to his hit single “Love Is Not a Fight,” featured in the movie Fireproof, which opens in selected theaters September 26.

So how do you get from a dropped snack to Sherwood Pictures’ latest release?

Well, it went down something like this: While hanging out with friends, Warren accidentally drops a pretzel on the carpet, and his wife Megan expresses disapproval. Embarrassed for being reprimanded in front of his friends, Warren purposefully drops an entire handful of pretzels on the floor.

Hurt by the blatant act of defiance, Megan exits angrily to the bedroom. Warren follows but finds the door locked. Funny, he thinks, I thought it was our bedroom.

A debate ensues over whose bedroom it actually is. Since Megan is the one locked inside, Warren concedes on that point. But the fight continues until it escalates to full EF5 tornado status, leaving the couple wondering whether their relationship can actually weather this storm.

But, by the grace of God, their stubbornness did not prevail. The singer recalls, “We fought through it, and on the other side of that battle was a bliss I did not know before the pretzel.”

In the days after the great fiasco, Warren began to pray about the incident. “I’m not so naïve as to think that the pretzel will be the worst thing that ever happens,” he says. “Someday the Big Pretzel may fall.” And when it does, he prays that God will send angels to barricade the doors and make them fight it out. “Because who knows what bliss might be waiting on the other side of the worst battle we could ever imagine?” he says.

That’s why he now sings, “Love is not a fight, but it’s something worth fighting for.” It’s also why Alex and Stephen Kendrick, creators of Facing the Giants, chose Warren’s songfor the soundrack of their new film Fireproof. They knew the movie and lyrics shared a message of enduring—and long-suffering—love.

And to think, it all started with a pretzel.

To listen to or purchase Warren Barfield’s latest album, Worth Fighting For (featuring “Love Is Not a Fight”), visit our online bookstore.

For more information about Fireproof, visit www.fireproofthemovie.com