Lighting a Fire

Rather than think about what makes Christian art or what makes art Christian, Martin French suggests we ought to think in terms of how an artist can create Christianly. Does my creative process reflect worship, honesty, and communion? Does my expression connect with what I know, with the struggle and refining that God is working in me? Are my scars evident in the work? Chances are, if someone can look at something and say, “Oh, that’s Christian art,” then it wasn’t made very Christianly. In order to create in this manner, we must believe that art is not a secondary activity, not on the fringe of the Christian experience, and not a random afterthought. God from the beginning has chosen to reveal Himself to us through creative expression. He calls out to us creatively—And he has specifically placed within many of us, the ability to make and create along with him. That is important work, and the Church should fully engage in it. Are we willing to move beyond our selves, beyond our quest for acceptance, our fear of success, and make art in the context of truth and worship?