I AM ART

          I believe that as Christians it is our job to convey the gospel story in a language that our culture can understand and connect to.  Why are there so many different versions of the Bible?  One of the reasons is that the language of the times keeps changing.  As a result new versions are written in order for the emerging generation to understand what is being said.  Did you know that there is a version of the Bible translated into Hawaiian Pidgin and it is called "Da Jesus Book"?  Hawaiian Pidgin is a creole or slang language that originated as a form of communication between English speaking and non-English speaking residents.  Pidgin is the primary language for many residents of Hawaii.  Da Jesus Book is an example of creativity used to reach a sub-culture where a new language emerged.

            My generation and the generations that are growing up today in America relate to the world largely through media, television, music, and art.  Therefore we should be expressing and translating our Christianity in every art form.  You must take this beyond your idea of the "Christian religion".  Art is so much more than a mere tool for evangelism or a tool to teach us more about the religion of Christianity…it is who we are in our purest form.  We are creators, and by extension we are artists.  Before we could understand that we were anything else we knew that we were born to create.  Why?  Because in Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."  We are the sons and daughters of the creator of the universe, made in His own image, thus we are creators. Our lives are a continual work of art; our salvation is made possible through the creativity of God.  How? To be "saved" or "born-again" really just means to have a re-created new nature.  So in a sense you could say that creativity is in our physical and spiritual DNA. The forming of our physical bodies in our mother's womb was a creative act and the recreation of our nature was a creative miracle.  "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new"(2 Corinthians 5:17).

            So what do we do with this revelation?  We are artists by nature, and we live in a culture that is communicating more and more through social media, pictures, videos, gifs, and memes.  Our culture relates to the world through computer screens, phone screens, TV screens, the silver screen.  We hear through music, and we listen with more than just our ears but with our eyes we understand concepts, feelings, emotions and ideas.  It's interesting that the church used to be driven by the arts.  Look at the beauty of the Sistine chapel and the art of the renaissance age; it is breath taking.  It's a tragedy that many churches have excellent teaching on the word of God yet are lacking in creative expression; as a result the gospel is becoming more and more irrelevant to young people.  As a church we need to realize that we are presenting the gospel in such a way that doesn't translate to a vast majority of our culture. 

            This is not a new reality, but it's becoming more and more obvious as our culture shifts.  I have always had a strong passion and appreciation for the performing and visual arts yet have sat in churches that dull down the message of Jesus until it's dry, boring or outdated.  Even though the truth of the gospel is being taught, it's presented in a boring manner and 2 hours later all I can think about is my butt being numb while someone lectures me or over spiritualizes faith.  I've listened to "secular" music and seen films that have had more of an impact on my life than many church services I wasted my time at.             
                         This is a call to remember the creativity that is inside all of us.  This is a call for every individual to express the beauty, the awesomeness, and the indescribable love of Jesus Christ through every art form.  What we can create and express on this earth is unimaginable, and yet so attainable if we just believe and break through the ceilings and the limits we've place on human creativity in the realm of the church.  The language of art and music is timeless…we can reach any culture through some form of art…perhaps we're just not speaking the right language? If our culture is speaking through art and music we need to translate the gospel through the language of the arts.  Look at some of the greatest films of our time. Listen to the greatest music hits. Take notice of the art that captivates and inspires you through a language you can't even verbalize.  I am art and so are you, don’t' stifle the creativity that God has designed you with.  Art can't be contained in four walls; it will paint every sidewalk, every building, it will light up the sky, it will echo through entire cities…just look at nature, it's beauty covers the earth.  Think beyond what you've ever imagined and create what you see with your spiritual eyes.  Call to life the art and the expression of a living God that has died, been ignored or been oppressed. 

"Any group that willingly or unconsciously sidesteps creativity and human expression gives up their effective role in the society in which they live.  In Christian terms, their ability to be the salt of that society is greatly diminished."  -Francis Schaeffer-