I have begun to distrust the identifier “creatives.” We, the Christian community, use the word to describe artists and those with an artistic bent, even though we claim that we are all created in the image of the Creator. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, who spoke life into being, breathed the cosmos, filled the land and sea with his word, and created us in His image. The disparity here is blatant.
Beyond disparity, the problem we introduce when we use the label of “creatives” is that it creates two classes. The creatives and the non-creatives. So what we are saying is that there are those who are wired to think creatively, but the rest of us are hamsters in wheels.
From a biblical perspective on creativity, as well as our reflective nature of the divine, this is unacceptable.
You don’t have to be an artist to be creative. By nature, we are all creative. We are reflections of the master creator. We have a divine breath of life in our lungs. We have a powerful life force coursing through our veins. It is innate and foundational to who we are.
You may say that I’m simply arguing semantics. But remember that semantics are what turn a good message into a great message, and what make an incorrect statement a damaging statement. Our words constantly create new shades of reality both for ourselves and others. When we speak of some as creative, we are creating a reality that keeps most of society at arm’s length from the creative nature of God. This happens because we all create, with our motives, words, actions, and lives.
You may claim that indeed, there are two classes of people. Some people just aren’t in touch with creativity. They aren’t artists, they don’t appreciate design, and they don’t recognize beauty. While this may properly describe some, I would argue that it is a result of decay and destruction both in their souls and in their environments, rather than a general state of being. Those who have witnessed and perpetuated destruction experience a gap in their lives when it comes to creation.
This is seen in Genesis when the man and the woman sin, and go from serving the garden to using the garden to serve themselves, sewing together leaves to hide their nakedness. There is a distance created in that moment, not only from God, but from the man and woman with their creative nature. By turning their back on the task of co-creation that was laid out before them, they abandoned an integral role in the unfolding story of creation. The man and woman’s mandate to nurture creation was rooted in their relationship with the Creator. As such, the joy found in their work was a direct result of their relationship with God.
The removal from the garden was a painful display of the distance created between the man, woman, their Creator, and their intended purpose as creative beings. But the story doesn’t end with the man and the woman standing on the East of the garden …
So we have a choice. We can buy into the myth that some are creative and others aren’t, or we can play a part in creating a new reality. A reality founded in the truth that we are all created to reflect the living God. A reality that our lives are bodies of work pointing to something larger than ourselves. A reality that this life is constantly pointing to a new reality that is yet to come, full of redemption and restoration.
We can usher in this new reality by choosing to act in love and extend grace to those who may be overlooked. We can lend our skills and attention to just and noble causes. In our words and actions, we can tell the compelling story of a God who is setting all things right. By faithfully following Christ, the triumphant experiences and the daily mundane tasks form a body of work that drips the gospel message, and invites others to join us.
You and I can point to the eternal kingdom that is breaking in. It starts with what we create.
Sam has worked with churches, building ministries to reach the 20-30 age group, as well as building web and live experiences. He has preached in churches that reach from 35 to 2,000 per weekend. He recently wrote his first book, Creative Theology, which explores the relationship between faith and creativity. You can read his blog at creativetheology.com.