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.