The Christian should be the person who is alive, whose imagination absolutely boils, which moves…because God made us to be creative. ~ Francis Schaeffer, He Is There and He Is Not Silent
I love writing stories. Ever since I was a little kid I would make up characters and play out a portion of their lives through pencil on paper. Even if I wasn’t writing stories, I would take my Legos and build different universes with different people and creatures and act out their stories within the jungle of the carpet. Still today I’ll write stories in my free time—a hobby, a way to de-stress, and a way to experience joy (though pencil and paper has become keyboard and screen).
It doesn’t have to be stories. My friend Tony paints. My dad and my sister write poems. People make movies. Others compose songs.
Art is a part of our nature in which we draw from the wells of imagination to create and bring a sense of wonder. Below are a few thoughts about Christians and the arts:
First, we create because we are in the image of God. Genesis 1 and 2 detail how God, beginning with a blank canvas, spoke a magnificent universe into being. For millennia people young and old stared at the stars without knowing what space above truly contained. Only recently, in the scale of history, have we realized just how big and amazing our universe is. We live on a tiny speck, circling a small star in a swirling galaxy that is only one of many stretching farther than we could imagine. There is a lot of empty space and a lot of beauty that we still have seen. There are nebulas where ancient stars have died and where others are born.
Most of the light we see on a dark night arrives from places that would take countless lifetimes for us to reach. Yet every flash of a pulsar, even unseen by human eyes, speaks to the glory and the beauty of the God who created it.
And then on this speck orbiting our star, we experience vast oceans, high mountains, rolling clouds, ants marching, dogs at play, platypuses being awesomely weird, and the faces of each person we meet. People, like us, day in and day out living as the pinnacle of God’s creation—the ones made in his image.
Yes, we have rebelled against the Maker. Yes, the image is marred. Yes, we can do great evils in the brokenness we caused. Yet, the image still persists. God possesses the greatest imagination and he created all of this because he wanted to and it gave him joy.
Tim Keller wrote, “The universe is an endless ocean of God’s joy and glory. We are caught temporarily in a little drop of sadness here on earth. But eventually it will be removed. Regardless of what happens immediately to believers, eventually it will be all right” (The Songs of Jesus). Dwelling as God’s image bearers in his endless ocean of joy and glory, we create because God has given us imaginations and a desire to make things new.
Second, we create because our stories point to the bigger Story. Art communicates. This is true of paintings, poems, and prose. The best art speaks of higher virtues and purposes; it shows heroes triumphing over villains. Again, we look to God, and we see One who is the highest of all virtues. Love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, joy, faithfulness, and self-control all flow from him and his Spirit.
And the Bible gives the details of God’s grand story. We find ourselves in the midst of an adventure-romance: the tale of a runaway bride who sold herself into bondage, thinking that the crafty dragon held the keys to a greater freedom. Lost and helpless on her own, the Hero pursues her in love and this King of kings goes to war against the dragon. It costs him his life, he must pay her price, but in the midst of that seeming darkness something amazing happens: The King kicks down the door of the grave, crushes the enemy underfoot, and rescues his bride, bringing her back to himself clean and pure forever.
The best art displays these themes of love, hope, and redemption.
Again, we can twist this. Again, we create much that is destructive and shows the darkness and villains winning. We do this out of our own foolishness. Even if such is stylistically enjoyable, it misses the greater truth: We are meant to enjoy and glorify God. So we write, paint, and create to give signposts to the bigger Story.
Third, we create because it produces joy. Think again to that Keller quote: the universe is an endless ocean of God’s joy. The fruit of the Spirit includes joy. Jesus came that we might have his joy manifested in us. God desires the joy of his people to ring out. Ultimately the fullness of joy comes from complete satisfaction in him, but God has given us various means to take enjoyment in him. Part of this is creating thought art.
As a painter paints or as a writer writes, there is a sense of enjoyment. Art is not utilitarian. Art is not innately necessary for survival. It transmits stories and ideas, but it does so with a purpose of enjoyment. God could have created a much smaller universe. He didn’t have to span creation across an imaginably unending distance. He did so to display his glory. He did so for his enjoyment and ours.
Psalm 147 says: “Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him…. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name” (147:1, 4).
We cannot determine the number of stars. We cannot speak things into being from nothing. But we can create through art. And so we create for our enjoyment and that of others.
As Schaeffer said in the quote to introduce this piece: We who are alive in Christ should have imaginations that soar, made to be creative by the creating God. So we, Jesus-followers, should be on the forefront of writing songs and stories, of making paintings and sculptures, of creating art in various forms to add beauty to the world desperately in need of a better story, God’s story.
Love that opening quote from Francis Schaeffer. I have a number of his works, including the one cited, and what he says ought to reflect a reality that is true for every Christian and minister of the Gospel. Unfortunately, they get tied down to narrow and limited view points, thinking that is all the Bible teaches. The truth is other wise. The Book might well teach some restricted things, but it also reflects a larger perspective than we can grasp (without the help of the Holy Spirit. Take, for example, the idea of fictional narratives. There are the writings of C.S. Lewis that have been used to speak to people about the truths of God. And then there is a view I came across about narrative theology and the claim that it does not allow for the idea of verbal inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility, but any reading of the narratives of the New Testament involving our Lord, indicate plainly that such is not the case. My readings of literature, in addition to the Bible indicate that such material, especially, good writings, can be used to give one new angles for looking at what the Bible has to say about many materials.
Mike, I like that you approached this subject and I’m not an artsy type but I’m thinking that when you say “The best art displays these themes of love, hope, and redemption,” I’m inclined against the absolute statement. It’s all subjective anyway but a lot of very good art has always involved less happy themes. The great operatic works deal with ugly subjects, some anticipate or feature redemption, some do not. Faust does, iGotterdammerung doesn’t. Both are great art. Scripture always anticipates redemption and ultimate righteousness and justice but various subjects are black and ugly. Salome is good art but a black, fictionally expanded, biblical subject. Wagner’s ring cycle is pagan but great art. Munch’s ‘Scream’ communicates and in spite of being a commercial cliche these days, is a moving work. The silly schlock of the discredited Kinkade might be (or was) the world’s most collected paintings but are worthy of nothing more than velvet Elvis.
But, hey, if you can’t be opinionated about art, how deprived would a blogger be?
Yeah, I agree with you to some degree here. In fact, I thought I said in the post something along the lines of: it doesn’t have to be this to be visually pleasing (or you could throw in audibly or intellectually stimulating as well).
And granted unlike a book or a song, a single piece of painted or sculpted or whatever art (while potentially capturing a thousand words) is limited in being able to present a broader scene. (my favorite Kinkade piece, btw, is the one where the walkers from Star Wars are in the background–okay, maybe someone photoshopped those in 🙂 ).
But I still think from our worldview, the best art is that which points to the light. Now on this, I also agree with Schaeffer in “Art and the Bible” where he says for art to be from a Christian worldview or God-honoring, it doesn’t have to have a cross painted or written in. But it does point beyond itself and the darkness often inherent in the world.
Side note to this: I do rock out to music from the likes of Dave Matthews, Mumford and Son, Pearl Jam, Of Monsters and Men, etc., simply because I enjoy it. Some of it is just flat-out great music. I think I can enjoy the music and honor the abilities of the artist, but still see the “best” as showing something greater still.
I have always shared with my kids (and the youth group I once pastored) that you have to discern the worldview of the artist presenting the music, and even then, you have to do it on a song by song basis. You mentioned Mumford and Sons. Many of their songs have themes of longing for something to be made right and redemption that can contribute to “thinking well”. On the flip side, there is a lot of music that screams of hedonism and nihilism. I always challenge my kids to think through the implications of consuming that music. They don’t always listen to me. (I don’t always listen to me!) At the very least, I just want them to be aware of what they are consuming.
Wagner’s worldview may have been suspect but that doesn’t mean his music should be dismissed but I understand the issue with popular contemporary music and those who put it out.
SBC Plodder:
Well I guess I’m guilty as charged in terms actually buying mass produced Kinkaid art. My wife and I bought a Kincaid painting of a lighthouse on a rocky point and put it up in our Bible Study class at church.
Kincaid has various levels of prints. The one we got was a numbered print (i.e. 406 / 1000). He uses some type of giant ink jet printer to print on canvas so that when you casually look at the print — which is about 24″ x 36″ — it looks like a real oil painting. I paid $400 for this print. This print came from a Kincaid Dealer in Porterville, California. That store closed down a few years ago. In the last month I got a notice that that store has re-opened.
The titles for sale now are various paintings depicting Disney Themes — such as Peter Pan and Snow White. I think Kincaid should have moved back in time to the Gothic Period rather than embrace Disney stuff. I might shell out $400 for a print of the Koln Cathedral, or Amiens, or Charters.
However, there is some common ground between the two subjects. Back in the day, pilgrims came from all over to go to these cathedrals to pay their indulgences and receive a blessing. Today they flock as pilgrims to Kissimmee and Anaheim. Not much difference I guess. Back in the day pilgrims walked the labyrinth. Now they stand in line to ride the Matterhorn train. In both cases people go around in circles and get nowhere.
I think the highest form of art is music from the Baroque period: Bach, Pergolesi, Handel etc.
The #1 item to marvel at [in this case not Christian music] is the harpsichord solo from the first movement — Allegro — of the Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D major [BVW 1050] where Karl Richter is leading the Munich Baroque Orchestra. Richter is something else.
Roger Oklahoma City OK
Ouch, Roger…I once paid (or my church paid) $400 for a set of framed prints from LifeWay on the life of Jesus. I can see why the Kinkade estate/franchise moved to doing Pluto and Goofy. It fits.
Call me a musical Neanderthal but I don’t see why anyone would prefer the harpsichord when we’ve got pianos. Not too big on baroque, either.
We can still be friends, though.
Baroque – When you have no Monet.
David R. Brumbelow
If it ain’t baroque…don’t fix it.
Greg,
Wow….groan. lol