Art

...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Phil. 4:8

God made a world large and filled with people. These people, He filled with souls. These souls, He gave the itching desire to create and and the ability to think, imagine, and dream. He has chosen to work out His will and achieve His glory through these people, not just the Christian ones. Thus, Christianity was never meant to be a sub-culture. There should not be "christian music" or "christian books" or "christian movies." If we truly believe in a beautiful creator that crafted this whole creation to His own perfect will, then isn't every book theology? Isn't every song grappling with the fact that God is out there? Isn't every movie trying to understand what it means to be a human being living in this world created by God? 

Sure, much of this art may arrive at different and opposite conclusions of the world, but that doesn't mean that it can't be lovely or true or pure. That would be as if the only places that are beautiful in the world must be inside churches or that the only art worth seeing is paintings of Jesus dying on the cross. As it stands now, that is the image we are projecting to the rest of the world as Christians. We are so ready to condemn all of the "evil" in the world outside our church walls that we fail to see the beauty of the constant creation that is flowing from the God's-image part of every human's soul out into the world. 

So I will stand now and say that I have gained more from Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau than the newest milk and cookies theology book at the christian bookstore. V for Vendetta will always be better for my soul than Facing the Giants. Sufjan Stevens and Mumford and Sons bring me closer to God than most of christian radio ever will. 

It is time for Christians to stand up and embrace what is good in the world. It is time for Christian artist to stop trying to be preachy or to make a buck by feeding the masses what they want to hear and see, but to let their God given soul flow with all the creative juices they can muster. I believe that this is when God will be most satisfied, when His people find joy, beauty, peace, and goodness in all the good things that He has created and when they produce art that is no longer a "Christian" version of what the world likes, but art that is so  true and glorious that the world cannot help but notice.

Suffering Part 2

For years now, I have thought that the most important question regarding suffering is, "Why would a good God would let us suffer?" In many ways there are millions of answers to that question and no good ones. I am now convinced, however, that the most important question is, "Does He care?"

In Herman Melville's often mocked tale, Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is consumed by a desire to destroy the white whale, even if it means that he will lose everything in the process (spoiler alert! he does). The whale symbolizes God in its omnipresence and sheer power and was used as a way for Melville to air out his quarrels with the Almighty. Ahab hates God for one reason more than the rest: the fact that we here on earth must suffer and God does not even have to answer for it.

Can I just stop for a moment here and say that I love Moby Dick and that I think it is one of the most important pieces of American literature? I love it for its passion and its thinking. I love it for not covering up a tough subject that is crucial to our human experience with a pat on the head and a Sunday school answer. I do, however, have one revision. At the end of it all when the Leviathan (cool Melville word for whale) has taken down the ship and is about to crush Ahab once and for all, he rises dramatically out of the water. Ahab shouts curses at the beast and readies his harpoon only to see that amidst the brine and chaos that the whale is no longer advancing. As the water drips off of its body from around its eye, Ahab begins to see that not just water pours forth into the sea, but tears. The whale weeps for Ahab's pain. Ahab hops on Moby Dick's back and they swim off happily ever after.

In the book of John, Jesus is given news of his friend Lazarus' sickness, but strangely enough he does not rush to his side. After a couple of days, he tells his disciples that Lazarus has fallen asleep but that he is going there to wake him. The disciples are confused, so Jesus, in typical Jesus form, spells it out for them. "Lazarus is dead." When they reach the town, Mary comes to see Jesus and tells him that if only he had come a few days earlier, her brother Lazarus would still be alive. Just imagine the emotions involved here. Mary has seen Jesus do some amazing things and he obviously has a special connection with the family. She looks him in the eye and accuses him of not acting quickly enough. She blames him for her suffering.

Before we get to what Jesus did do, let's meditate for a moment on what he did not do.

He did not chastise her for a lack of faith.
He did not say "my ways are not your ways."
He did not tell her to wait a moment while he went and raised him from the dead.
He did not look down on her as a child for her lack of understanding.

In a genius move by the people who broke the Bible into verses, we are given the shortest and one of the most potent verses.

"Jesus wept."

He could have stopped it before Lazarus died and he knew he was on his way to bring him back to life, but still Jesus wept. He knew this story would be recorded in the scripture to be read for thousands of years, but still Jesus wept. He exists outside of time and knew that Lazarus was in a better place already, but still Jesus wept. He created billions of people that He loves and Lazarus was just one of them, but still Jesus wept. He knew that he was about to endure a much worse death for sinners like Lazarus, but still Jesus wept.

I can't help but imagine that when your grandmother dies or a tsunami strikes Japan, Jesus looks down on us with love and weeps with us. What does it mean to have a God who weeps for you when you suffer? I will take that God over a God who hides suffering from me any day.