I’m reading a book right now by Mark Scandrette, Practicing the Way of Jesus, in which he explores what it means to live in Christian community. Very interesting! He uses an illustration that caught my attention. You might know that I studied Visual Arts in college and spent a number of years as a full-time graphic designer, so I usually love a good art metaphor.
Scandrette points out that art museums are great places for preserving the history, culture, and values of a given culture or people. They are full of the crowning achievements of artists and artisans who worked long and hard to hone their skills. The order and serenity of a museum gives the featured works a sense of importance and meaning. The space serves to document the “conversation” that goes on between artists, art movements, and the overall exchange of ideas over time. Yet the clean white marble, the security guards, and the hushed atmosphere seem to be far away from the typical places in which all of that art was created.
In contrast, the artist’s studio can be a rather chaotic place. The apparent disorganization does have a purpose, though. Often times, artists are able to connect disparate ideas in creative ways precisely because they allow things to mingle which normally do not. The privacy and safety of an artist’s studio allows for tools to be exercised in new ways, for new ideas to lead to better ideas, and for emerging techniques to be tested and perfected. It’s where the artist is able to produce work which exemplifies their expertise and style.
Those who choose to follow Jesus Christ live in a similar tension between two spaces.
It is important to spend time “in the museums” of our faith. Limited as we are, we need regular reminders of how best to love as Jesus loves. Our buildings, our documents, our traditions, and how we organize our worship and congregations have all come down to us from those who blazed a trail before. We see their works as important and influential — and they are — but we cannot be content to just appreciate and admire them. Living solely in these museum spaces renders us ineffective. We choose not to harness the creative force of being an artist and instead simply look on as a spectator or worse, an art critic.
As Christians, we are called to also spend time “in the studio” of our faith. We must wrestle with ideas, try out new tools and techniques, and give ourselves permission to get a little messy in pursuit of drawing closer to Christ. It is a process that we all must go through. Considerable time spent in scripture and prayer can be fertile ground for hearing God’s own call on our lives. Through this “studio time” and the growth it brings, we are free to begin creating a faith that does more than just look at the masterpieces already hanging on the museum walls. We enter into that great conversation and begin contributing to the Kingdom ourselves.
In reality, we need to become proficient in both spaces. Each can interpret and inform the other! Each can even have direct influence on the other as well. Learn from those who have gone before, but get out there and get creative yourself as well. You’ll thank me later!
~ Clay
Fowlers in Japan 