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Been thinking of stories for a long time, and not just those that are written. All creative expressives articulate their passions, some by wielding a paintbrush or capturing the world with the lens of a camera; others by weaving baskets, throwing pottery or designing jewelry; still others by acting or composing music; perhaps even sculpting mashed potatoes (a la Close Encounters of the Third Kind).
Acknowledging and following the compulsion to communicate is the absolute best thing, as long as we are open to what we are supposed to do. In her wonderful book Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, Madeleine L’Engle calls it getting out of the way; also, serving the piece. That is when we truly find delight in the creative process even when the work may seem out of place…or tangential to the subject under discussion…or not the right time…or we don’t completely understand it.
The vision we see must be told and we are to remain true to its imperative, yet we are obliged to do so in love. We must remember that what we’ve received may not be the only truth out there. What? You mean someone else’s view, even one drastically different from ours, might also be right? Maybe. (Now, bear in mind, I’m speaking of creative expression, not the Gospel.) There’s variety in every part of life: in trees and fish and flowers and colors, in architectural design and clothing apparel, even in versions of the Bible. And, while we’d like to believe we’re perfect, we are neither omnipotent nor omniscient, which means we cannot know everything. Thus, even though we work very, very hard—as we ought to do, continuing until we’ve given it everything we have—what we offer may be perfect to us but may not present the entire picture.
Another reason to respect the work and vision of those around us is this: every one of us, whether we’ve said “yes” to a relationship with Jesus or not, is His creation, and we’ve each been given gifts and talents to use. That’s right…every one of us.
We who believe must also remember that not every artistic offering has to be blatantly Christian. With regard to the written word, some of the best messages are subtle, known in generations past as fables and folk tales. They may even have alternate realities on different planets, or come to us from another time. My present work of fiction is one such, and friends who know the Lord will see between the lines while those who’ve yet to say “yes” won’t be bludgeoned by Christianese. Consider also that some of the stories seeming to have nothing to do with salvation might present it best. Doug Wilson wrote this in Future Men,
We fell into sin as a race because we were beguiled by a dragon (Gen. 3:1). God promised to send a warrior who would crush the seed of that serpent (Gen. 3:15), and He has done this in Jesus Christ. In sum, the gospel is the story of a dragon-fight. The serpent of Genesis is the dragon of Revelation (Rev. 20:2), and we are called to rejoice that the dragon has been slain.
In that context, while considering the fantasies lining shelves of many bookstores, you may now ask (as I have done so often), Wonder how many of these are an artistic representation of that most epic of all adventures?
Here’s another question: what of those whose talents or jobs have them laboring in industries where blatancy is inappropriate? Does a chef in a four-star restaurant have to write “Jesus loves you” in the chocolate or raspberry sauce to be assured he has honored the Lord in his work? Must a tract be left on the counter of every hotel room an employee cleans in order that faith be proclaimed? I design jewelry and know the hand of the Lord is on my work, but only crafting rhinestone Jesus pins won’t convince the store proprietors or their customers that the beauty He’s shown me is evidence of His love. We must speak to customers, clients, and audiences as the occasion befits, otherwise our “witness” is detrimental to the Kingdom. Listen to how our best example, Jesus, handled these situations:
He taught by using stories, many stories. …
When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, ‘You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.’ …
With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots. (Mark 4:2,10-11,33-34, The Message)
Last Friday’s post by Pastor Susan at the TLC4Women blog helped me recall a lesson from my early days as a Christian: Jesus may ask everything from us, but He returns it with instructions for use.
Jesus returns to the disciples what seems like exactly what they gave him. Only it wasn’t exactly as they gave it to [him], it’s now blessed.
See if we are truly sold out to Christ, then we hand him everything in our lives. If we hand him everything in our lives, he takes it, looks up to heaven, gives thanks and breaks it and gives it back to us. What do we do with those things then? How do we serve God with them? His commandment says we love God with all of our heart, mind and soul and we love each other. We serve others.
So how do we in the artistic community serve others? By always doing our best, by perfecting our craft(s), by not offering anything to our customers that might even offer a hint of “Oh, well; it’s good enough.”
The Developing Artist blog is excellent for those in the music industry and, although I only occupied a piano bench for a scant six months many years ago, I frequent this site. Jeff’s advice and insistence upon excellence can be applied to every arena of life, whether we’re involved in the industry, artists of a different genre, or just happily addicted music junkies.
Whatever your craft or skill or talent or passion, feel good about it, work hard to perfect it, then release it and relax, knowing you’ve done the best you can. Or, as the apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians…
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you’ve been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (Galatians 6:4-5, The Message)
Happily pursuing my creative talents and gifts, I pray
All of Heaven’s best to you and yours,
Margret
