NOTE: Header image from a Naomi Campbell painting
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good….God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning. (Genesis 1:1-4, 31)
Today’s post is going to be fairly short, pointing to the beauty of creativity. I am inspired, this morning, by a photograph our daughter, Naomi, sent yesterday. It features a collection of her recent paintings, and set my mind and spirit to thinking about why I enjoy art so much.
I have this theory about art, and beauty. I believe that all beauty emanates from God, that creativity is one of the most compelling evidences that we are “created in the image of God,” and that giftedness comes from the Spirit irrespective of our beliefs about God.
CLUES to GOD: Real beauty points to divinity; it speaks for itself. Sometimes, in my assessment, art is compromised when the artist overplays the connection between their gift and their personal religious preference. It’s a mistake to limit the scope of divine creativity to the realm of Christian sentiment. I think we’ve all seen (and heard) supposed “Christian” painting and music that is so bad that it has no hint of the Lord of Creation in it.
On the other hand, listening to a gifted performance by a secular artist such as James Taylor, or Rene Fleming, appreciating a watercolor by Andrew Wyeth, or reading a great literary masterpiece by Hemingway, or Steinbeck exposes me to creativity and beauty that can only emanate from the heart of the Author of Inspiration.
FAITH-BASED: Once in a while art, beauty and faith do come together, as evidenced in work such as the music of contemporary Christian composer Chris Tomlin, the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, a live performance of Bach, or the writing of Don Miller (Blue Like Jazz). It’s a thrill to encounter art that not only comes from the creative heart of God but also leads the audience into worship.
But real art, I believe, much like the compelling witness of the beauty of creation itself, is always inhabited by the Spirit of the Creator, regardless of explanation or attribution.
Here’s my caveat. It doesn’t matter who we are (some of us are talented like Naomi, some people are simply fans of beauty, and some folk can’t even match two pieces of clothing), but there’s not a person alive on Planet Earth whose work (or painting, sales job, music, carpentry, photography, relationships, writing, art appreciation, imagination, teaching, etc….) would not benefit from a living relationship with the Author of Creativity.
Because we were/are created in the image of God, Creator God. Our creativity reflects God’s image in us. And anything that we do has the potential to share a little more of the Greatest Story Ever Told.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
– DEREK