Today's Sunday school was about artist and their place as a Christian. This topic is one I could discuss ALL day long! So I had to come home and write all I didnt get to say.
I think it is fair to say that anyone with and "artsy" side to them sees things differently than most. They are in my opinion very "open minded". My belief is they can see all sides to a story, even the bad and still find the beauty. I don't consider myself to be an artsy person, but I do believe that I have somewhat a frame of mind as an "artsy" person. My daughter on the other hand...I see her as a pure artist in everything she does! She can truly see beauty in anything and everything she comes in contact with...even the worst of people she can find their beauty and she can bring it out in them!
The question today that really got me going was, "are those with an artist frame of mind accepted in the church setting". Not just our church, but in general. It's funny because I think all Christians would instantly say of course we would not "not accept" anyone, but I find that hard to bellieve. We are just people and people error in judgement. My guess is that two years ago, when I walked in with a teenager who had on a concert Tshirt with pink & black hair there where many Christians who thought my goodness what do we have here (to put it nicely). Of course once you know this pink haired youth, you can't help but to love her! A pure heart of gold. She certainly has some difficult times, but wouldn't we all when our thought patterns are so different than everyone elses? When we spend all of our energy in seeing all aspects to a situation? Even I get frustrated sometimes as a mother having a child who truly opens herself up to everyone's situation. More so because I worry about her. The truth is however, I think she will make an amazing adult one day because she does open herself up to know more, to feel more, and to see more than any of us do!
Okay, this isn't meant to be all about my daughter but where artist fit into a Christian setting. My personal struggles with this and what I believe is my wonderful teenager's too is this....The Bible is the word of truth and in the truth we are told exactly what needs to be done to reach our paradise one day! So I believe in a Christian mind frame there really is not much room to be "open minded". Just because a person has an open mind to situations does not mean they do not try with everything in them to live in a way that would make God proud, a way that reflects their love for him! We certainly have not always lived this way, but in our case we are learning, and we are trying. It does mean generally that they may over analyze every situation. It may mean that they have to think deeper into what the right thing to do is in God's eyes. Because the fact is, it is not our way that matters, it is only his. We often have to remind ourselves of that. We often have to put our own compassions and feelings aside. This is a very difficult thing to do for someone who can watch the news and have sympathy for, yes, even the guilty. I also believe that in being so "open minded" an artist can bring out the Godliest of things in all surroundings, when used appropriately! We are all of God's creation, and we would not have artist if God himself did not find it of importance to glorify him! There is a reason for us! I may not know exactly what it is, but there truly is!
We spoke of artist who use their gifts to do exactly opposite. They use it to to do everything but glorify God. I made a comment that probably made no sense at all to most, "i think in every form of art you can find beauty". I didn't mean that i can listen to music with evil in it and think oh how pretty. I simply meant that if I can listen to that music and think to myself I need to pray for that person, then in a way it is still used to bring me personally closer to God, rather it is what the artist themselves intented or not. That's where the open mind comes out. When i see/hear art that is a pure sign of the devil, I don't think what a horrible person. As a matter of fact, I normally think I wonder what their story is. How did they get so lost?
Now don't get me wrong, there was nobody in our group who even implied that artist do not fit into the curch setting, not a single one. It was only a topic of discussion, one that hit me hard because I do often hide my open minded side in fear of exactly that, it may come accross as non-christian. I have friends I have known most of my life who feel a little left behind in my life right now. Simply because I have not yet learned the balance of having an open mind and living a christian life as well. I also have new Christian friends who may think I don't enjoy their company simply because to hang out with them, they may see a non-christian side of me come out. I feel bad that I somewhat hermit myself to avoid the struggle between my thoughts and what is believed to be a Christian way of thinking. Even before church and reading the Bible (which I am still not all the way through) I believed myself to end up in heaven one day on the simple fact that I was a good person. I loved people. The problem I realize now is I was a "good" person by my standards, not his. So until I am confident in his word and that i know it well, I take the easy way out. How sad is that!?!
So yes, when it came up, "does a person with an artist frame of mind fit into the church, are the accepted," all I could think of was well yes of course they do, but the real question is, do they feel like they do? Do we love our neighbors as we do ourselves? Really? Do we reflect that love to everyone who crosses our path?
