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What are some stereotypical adjectives you would use to describe those employed in the Creative or Performing Arts? Eccentric…Emotional… Unpredictable…Moody…Temperamental…Reclusive…Ethereal…Weird…?

In the midst of this flurry of adjectives is the first word that comes to our minds to describe these people “creative” or…is it the last? Does their appearance and personality so diminish their standing w/ us that we are unable to allow them entrance into our “normal” social community? Yet, if we are honest we do allow them into our community but largely only to the extent that they entertain us. Either by their music, or their attention to detail and color on canvas, or their ability to take on and portray a character that will move us to emotional hysterics (laughing or crying)…We sometimes speak like we are personally acquainted with a character they portray, claim one of their songs to be “our song” and hang their art in our homes. Thereby, they become a part of our communities, conversations, workplaces, etc… I believe that it is God’s plan that we all see ourselves as creative. Scripture bears out that we ALL are/were designed to live creative lives. Creativity to display the beauty contained in this life is not just left up to those with fine artistic gifts, musical talent, or to the dancers and actors alone. It is the responsibility and privilege of all of those created in the image of God to show the beauty and to reflect the inventive nature of their Creator. Together (in the community we call the Church) we can paint a picture of the unsurpassing beauty, glory, and wonder of God by simply yielding to our creative design and following the example(s) of scripture.

“Imago Dei” The Image of God

The creation narrative in Genesis says blatantly that God created humans in his own image. In fact, it even says it was God’s idea to create them as such. He wasn’t bound by oath or covenant. We are entirely God’s own invention. The trees and shrubs, fish and birds, cows and lambs and dogs and cats and aardvarks and those weird ocean creatures that have that light thingy over their head…every living thing had no model or image other than that they were fully existent in the divine and sovereign imagination of God. Humanity was different. The image already had a likeness…God himself. God is our model and as a result, we model God…or at least that is our creative design. There is another interesting thing about the creation account of human beings. There are two distinctions, one in the first chapter of Genesis and the other in the second. The first is this, in the whole Creation story (Gen 1:1-25) God never once said “Let Us…” do anything. If I was reading the Bible for the first time I would assume that God is this cosmic Person that is just speaking things into existence, that is, until I get to the creation of the human being. Then I may deduce that either God has a moment of divine schizophrenia or there is more to Him than is seen in the first 25 verses of Genesis. He (God) calls on the community of the Godhead to create man and woman (vs 26-27). Nothing else in creation seems to get this privilege. From community came human design thus, they are created to dwell and function in community. It was, literally, HOW they were made. God makes this clear when He says, “It is not good for the man to be alone…” (Gen 2:18) Only when Adam finds himself in the company of the one made exclusively for his company does (pro)creation and (pro)creativity begin. Adam’s power to create was limited to himself but in community and union with his “suitable helper” they were creative beyond themselves.

A second distinction is in Genesis 2 when God pronounces the human to be a living soul…Again, markedly different from all other living things. The animals are alive with functioning systems of growth and natural reproduction but only humans received the breath of life unto becoming a living soul. A person…capable of having feelings, unction, emotional reactions…Capable of discerning beauty and sorrow, joy and pain, and everything in between. Our ability to know God, receive His salvation, and live in community with Him is, in all of creation, privy only to Man. Consider this quote on the doctrine of Imago Dei from S. Gannon Murphy for the Minnesota Apologetics Project:

“The doctrine does not merely serve to distinguish man from animality. Rather, it sets the entire stage upon which humans are able to relate to their Creator at all and, therefore, receive salvation…”

What is the significance of creating within a community? I believe it comes down to 2 things: Contribution and Accountability. The example we have been given by our Chief Artist is that consultation among the community (whether heavenly or earthly) is important and who knows such matters better than the Chief of all who create and what example holds greater authority? A co-operative effort is better than a singular effort. Take for example how we perceive one another. If all of us were in the same place, each of us could look at our surroundings and notice something different. Perhaps we might even look at the same thing but what we observe is probably coming from a different perspective or context. Even if we are all transfixed on same page of this website, we would likely each notice a different facet of its design. And, therefore, each of us would interpret it in a different way. To create in community is to bring all of those interpretations and contributions together and use them to produce a multi-faceted result. Please understand, I am not saying that creative things cannot happen individually but that individual creativity is only enhanced in community…By an individual’s contribution to the community and the community’s contribution to him/her.

There is accountability for that which is created in a community. A creative nature can be a dangerous thing when the Creative are left to their own devices. Creativity can be distorted to accomplish that which it is not intended for. How so? Take the Nazi regime for example. What began as scientific research into human genetics ended up as WWII. Well, that’s fine you say…none of us are planning on taking over the world anytime soon so what does it have to do with regular folks? In accordance to our heavenly example of Creative Community there is accountability represented even amongst the Holy Trinity. As God said, “Let us make man…” He engaged the other Persons of the Godhead to be accountable for this creative act as well. The accountability of fallen man is on Christ while the Holy Spirit is the convicting and guiding accountability of those in Christ (Romans 5:6-11). .

Creating in the image of God (1Cor 15:45-49)

As those created in the image of God we create as the image of God. (Understand, I did NOT say as God but in our created state as the image of God.) Our physical selves have a connection with Creativity as one created. Our living souls (in

Christ) have connection with Creativity by the re-creation of re-birth in Christ Jesus. Jesus says to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” He even goes further to say that one must be born of “…water and the Spirit.” Flesh and Spirit… Jesus gives us direct and living relationship to the Creator and Artist of the ages. Verse 49 of the above noted passage states, “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.” Where we once lived creatively by our physical “created” nature, now, in Christ we are alive with the Life of He who is Creator and we go about our days with confidence that the Spirit of Him who is in us is at work in and through us unto continual creative acts. These acts are not just preserved for canvas, clay, or manuscript but infiltrate the entirety of life. Creative parenting… Creativity in marriage… Creativity in relationships… Creative planning in our careers…etc… Consider this quote from McLauren Foster who is the Worship & Arts Pastor/Department Head at Belmont Church in Nashville, TN.

“I was a cell group member, a wife, a child, friend, mentor, godparent, cook and bottlewasher. I planted a garden, I read about organic cooking. I bird-watched and made friends with our 85-year old neighbors. And I discovered that balancing all this is really a feat of Creative Design! Maybe more creative than anything I ever did in music. I realized that the artistic expression I could concentrate on at that time in my life was simply producing a beautiful LIFE from all these somewhat scattered scraps. You can’t do that without Jesus, but with him it is an adventure! …His design, lived through me, helped me feel refreshed by the variety rather than exhausted. Where I had once described myself as a “Jack of all trades, master of none,” I now think better of it- that is an awfully negative way to describe a person who gives and receives joy in many places. Surely there are people who could do any of these things better than I- yet, God has put me here, in this fine tension, sitting in the middle of the wheel, with all manner of spokes, interesting spokes, running out to the sides. Just living well, becoming more loving, finding out more about God’s wonderful universe, is creative design enough for any of us. I didn’t need to be using my primary artistic gift of music to be living an extremely creative life. Perhaps that is encouragement to some of you who feel you “are not being used” by God in the way you would like, creatively. Take the ideas and skills you would pour into your art and pour them into your life… If you were somehow unable to practice in your art form tomorrow, would you have enough creativity in the rest of your life?”

Our creativity is not to hoard or use exclusively for personal gain but, instead, as we discover our creative design and obey the example of the scriptures it becomes something to distribute as the wealth and beauty of life in Christ that encourages and inspires the community in which we live.

Aaron Unthank
http://www.aaronunthank.com

Reader Comments

I am so incredibly inspired by this teaching. My eyes were opened to my creation in a whole new way. How wonderful that creativity is not a limited resourse but is bountiful and freeflowing and so unlimited!

Oops, the preceeding comment was left by me, Aaron's wife, who is reading this while being logged onto HIS computer! Sorry, Tia

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