The ancient narrative of Genesis affirms that we were created in the image of God, who is the ultimate artist (Gen. 1:27) We were made for creativity and freedom, to be collaborators with God in the ongoing work of creation. Our creativity and freedom are often blocked by dark imaginations and the shadows of selfish will. If we were made to work on the open canvas of creation, we have too often exchanged that canvas for a coloring book, assuming that is all comes down to whether we color inside or outside the lines. Continue reading →

The loss of creativity is where many of us most feel our spiritual need. Visit an art museum in any large city and you will see that it has become a temple where the artists are saints and deities and their collected works are objects of ritualized ceremony. We enjoy the unbridled liberty of the “rock star” artist, who is able to channel inspiration like an epiphany. I wouldn’t be the first to suggest that the quest for artistic freedom is a veiled hunger for God because, as an imprint on our being, creativity is closely linked to spirituality.

– Mark Scandrette in Soul Graffiti, p. 122

“First, the Bible is a great literary work filled with poetry, songs, stories, parables, history, apocalyptic drama, and wisdom literature. Second, the very people who pride themselves on being focused on the Word often come perilously close to practicing a form of Gnosticism that overvalues the spiritual and eschews the material. But the Word became flesh! The Incarnation proves that the divine can be communicated through the material — color, sound, texture, words printed on paper, the movement of the body.”

from Chasing Francis by Ian Morgan Cron

“All of us are meaning-seekers. We approach every painting, novel,
film, symphony, or ballet unconsciously hoping that it will move us
one step further on the journey toward answering the question, ‘Why am
I here?’ People living in the postmodern world, however, are faced
with an excruciating dilemma. Their hearts long to find ultimate
meaning, while at the same time their critical minds do not believe it
exists. We are homesick, but have no home. So we turn to the arts and
aesthetics to satisfy our thirst for the Absolute. But if we want to
find our true meaning in life, our search cannot end there. Art or
beauty is not the destination; it is a signpost pointing towards our
desired destination.”

– from Chasing Francis by Ian Morgan Cron