Musings of a Christian/Artist.

In Pursuit of a Biblical Understanding of Art and the Artist’s Calling.

For the last 4 years I have been seeking God, praying and listening for understanding, on one subject: What is God's original plan for art?

I decided to reread the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and write down every reference to artists and art. I'd already had my thoughts about certain things in relation to Art in Scripture. I've long thought of God as The Original Artist; the one who formed chaotic materials into an organized universe that existed first in His mind. I'd thought about how He made human beings in His own image and crafted our bodies to be physical manifestations of His spiritual qualities. Much like how the artworks produced from our minds-- our films or paintings or choreography-- reveal things about who we are and what we believe. We are indeed God's workmanship. I guess, what I didn't expect was for the Bible to be so explicit about the fact that God meant for us to analyze His work and see what we could learn about who He is and what He believes.

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So we are without excuse."

Romans 1:20

I've always been a person who feels peaceful in nature. I like to walk outside and stare at the sky, stare at trees, watch the birds and the squirrels doing their daily activities. Recently, I woke up at 6am and got a random thought to chase the sunrise. Still in my pajamas, I hopped in my car and just started driving East, toward the rising sun. I figured, if I just keep driving toward it, I'll eventually land on an amazing view of the sunrise. So, I got on Central Avenue and drove East for nearly an hour, until I was stopped by the Chesapeake Bay. If I wanted to keep moving East, I'd have needed a boat to cross the large body of water.

LondonTowne Marina at Sunrise, Edgewater MD

I took this whimsical trip at a time when I'd been pretty stressed and anxious about my future. I was worried that I'd never make enough money to do all the things on my heart and, more importantly, I felt anxious about the fact that I could not see how things would work out. For me, anxiety is a thing that stops me in my tracks. When I know where I want to be but I don't know how to get there, fear often turns into anxiety. And instead of continuing to move forward and trusting the process, I stop where I am, afraid to move another inch. I think it was the Holy Spirit who prompted me to take that seemingly random drive. During that drive, I felt God speak to my heart...

If I chase the source, I'll always end up somewhere beautiful.

While I drove East, chasing the sun, God showed me that the path of my life should be no different. If I chase the source, I'll always end up somewhere beautiful. Just as I chased the sun, the source of light, I must chase the Son, the source of Truth. I have to trust Him to lead me to good things. As I sat in my parked car, watching the glorious sun rising above the clouds, reflections of light coloring the water below, I felt complete peace for the first time in weeks. I was reminded of what Jesus taught, as written in Matthew 6:33, "If you first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be given to you."

God's Creation, His handiwork, His art installation that we call Earth had reaffimred something that day about who He is. God is my provider and the source of my calling in life. If I'm chasing Him, I don't need to know where I'm going. God's invisible attributes were on full display, speaking to me, through that beautiful sunrise.

"The heavens declare the glory of God,

    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

    and night to night reveals knowledge."

Psalm 19:1-2

If you're interested in these sorts of reflections or in learning more about what the Bible has to say about God's original intention for artists, subscribe and join me again for my next post.

If God's ever confirmed something to you through nature, please share it in the comment section. I hope this blog can be a place where I connect with other artists who are seekers of Truth. Peace out ✌🏾