Does all art need a purpose?

Thought of the day. Does all art need a purpose?

When God created the world, He said it was good. Not all that He made seems to have had a definitive purpose. With the exception of the heavenly bodies, which it says He created "for signs and for seasons, and for days and years... to give light upon the earth" (Gen 1:14-15, ESV), the only real commentary that is given on each facet of His creation is... "and it was good".

This brings up a question. Cannot art exist for the sole purpose of being good? A fruit nourishes us, the wind cools us, a river refreshes us... but do the vivid colors of fruits, flowers and sunsets serve any purpose other than to simply display beauty? Why did God create the flashy peacock, the odd giraffe, the grotesque anglerfish, and the magnificent blue whale? Does every creature serve a "purpose" like the stars do and vegetables do? Does it not seem that many aspects of creation exist simply to display His creativity, His majesty, and His personality... or to just be beautiful and be good? As Stasi Eldredge wrote,

"Nature is not primarily functional. It is primarily beautiful." - Captivating

When God made man, He made us "in His image." That means we reflect Him, and bring glory to Him by reflecting Him. We all reflect His image in different ways. Man and woman, young and old, artist and mathematician... each of us, in our own unique ways, reflect different aspects of His vast person. It is part of our purpose. By simply reflecting Him, we are fulfilling part of our purpose in existing.

This is where the artist comes in. Artists reflect the creative aspect of God's image. It is why the need to create and to make beautiful things is so deeply rooted in our hearts. 

Some people may wonder where the value is in a beautiful painting of flowers or a field or a completely imagined scene out of an artist's head. Does it serve any purpose? Is it worth spending the effort to create, the time to enjoy, or the funds to support? I would say yes, it is absolutely worth all those things and far more. Art is not something to belittle.

When artists create, we are directly reflecting God's image, and we are bringing Him glory.

It is part of our purpose as artists. It doesn't matter what we are creating, and whether or not that creation may seem "useless" in the eyes of others. By simply creating, we are reflecting the God who created the universe. Creativity is not to be ignored. There is no small value in the "mere" pursuit of beauty and goodness. God wanted us to pursue these things.

But let's take this a step further. And this is where I may start stepping on some toes.

You see, art is not just limited to paintings and drawings.

What about music? Writing? Storytelling? Filmmaking? We all know that media is the most powerful influencer on our culture right now. (I wrote a previous blog post on this.) This seems to place an obligation on Christians in the media world to create content that furthers God's kingdom and shines a light in the culture to combat all the darkness. While I fully acknowledge the immensely powerful position we have as media-makers, and whole-heartedly identify with all attempts to use that power for God's glory and for cultural reformation, I have to step back and say... is that all we are required to do?

I want to make movies that impacts culture. I want to tell stories that moves hearts and even, I pray, changes lives for Christ. But I've come to wonder, are we fully obligated to incorporate this kind of purpose into every single work of media art we create?

You see, media is art.

Is it a "waste" to write a song about our grandmother, or a poem about how much we love spring? Is it a "waste" to tell a story that never uses the name of Jesus, or a film that never shares the gospel or is, truly, hardly more than clean "entertainment"? Does the powerful potential of media obligate us to the restrictive purposes many Christians apply to it?

I'm not saying we should use this as an excuse... if God wants us to tell a story or write a song with a definitive purpose for His kingdom, we shouldn't use this reasoning as a cop-out from that calling.

But my question is, does God always require us to make art with such evident "purposes"?

Or are we not already reflecting His image, bringing Him glory, and fulfilling part of our purpose by simply making beauty... and making it good?

What do you think?

New horizons

Hello, everyone!  I must say, it's been a while since I've blogged.  I'm truly sorry about that.  Schedules have been hectic lately, and mournfully devoid of time for blogging.  I hope to change that soon.

I'm considering moving in some new directions.  There are exciting developments underway in my life right now that could soon propel me closer to my vocational pursuits, in terms of entering the realms of film, entertainment, and media arts.  As God seems to be drawing me to cross new horizons, I'm pondering a few changes that would accompany these developments. 

For example, there is the possibility that I may transfer this blog to a new website.  I may combine the two blogs I keep into a single site, which would also expand to serve other, newer purposes, besides blogging. 

As I contemplate these ideas, I covet your thoughts and opinions -- you, the faithful followers of this blog.  If this blog were to be transferred to a new site, which aspects of this blog would you like to see continued?  What have you found most beneficial, interesting, and useful?  Which aspects of this blog would you not like to see continued?  What are some things that you have enjoyed on this blog for a time, but perhaps would not serve a purpose on a newer, broader-purposed site?


I appreciate your comments very much.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

God bless!
Brianna

When God Writes Your Love Story

I've read two books recently that I want to recommend. These are probably the most powerful books on relationships I've ever read (granted, I haven't read many, but these books were still tremendously powerful). 

If you are looking for authentic, highly practical, and radical books on Christian relationships -- or really, if you're looking for books on Christian relationships at all -- these are for you: When Dreams Come True and When God Writes Your Love Story, both by Eric and Leslie Ludy. (Eric Ludy is the same author of another book I reviewed recently, The Bravehearted Gospel.) 

When Dreams Come True is the inspiring, entirely true love story of Eric and Leslie Ludy. This book is a gripping read; it is written like a novel, and I found it impossible to put down. It chronicles a beautiful, emotional love story that "only God could write"; one that flies in the face of modern Hollywood's twisted misconceptions on romance. This book is an amazing example of how God can write a love story infinitely better than any fictional book or movie we could ever slap together. If you want to witness a moving, eye-opening romance that defies our culture, then read When Dreams Come True.

When God Writes Your Love Story is a perfect companion to When Dreams Come True. In it, the authors dive much deeper into the themes touched in When Dreams Come True. It is filled to the brim with challenging, thought-provoking, and practical advise, applicable regardless of your age, or if you're years away from entering a serious relationship. All in all, I highly recommend it; read it, and then let your friends read it. 

Learn more about the Ludys' books by checking out these links:

http://www.setapartgirl.com/my-books.html

http://ericludy.com/Erics_Book_Bios.html

Should Christians Be "Intolerant"?

Just a quick thought I wanted to share. I was writing about this in a comment (on my post from two years ago about Puritans and The Scarlet Letter), and I decided to share it here with everyone as well.

"Tolerance" is a word that is used a lot in conversations about religion. "The Puritans were intolerant of other beliefs." "Christians need to be more tolerant." "We need a religion that calls for global tolerance." 

So, what is tolerance?

According to dictionary.com:

tol·er·ance [tol-er-uhns]

noun  

1. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

2. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. 

3. interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one's own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint.

So, what does it mean to be "tolerant" of another religion or belief? As Christians, we need to be very careful with that word. Being respectful or loving toward another person is one thing; but treating that other person's religion or belief system as if it is just as true or correct as Christianity is another thing.

John 14:6

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' "

As Christians, we shouldn't "tolerate" sin and untruths, in a manner of speaking, but we still should love the people who are sinning, and who are living outside of the truth. In other words, being "intolerant" to sin isn't wrong... it's "intolerance" without love that's wrong. 

The sin isn't okay, but, alluding to what some Christians have done in the past, we're not going to hang or burn the other person because of their sin. It is because we love the other person so much that we might gently, lovingly persuade them to leave their sin, for their own good. 

There is a big difference between "intolerance" with judgement (The Scarlet Letter, for an example), and a gentle "intolerance" that exists because we love someone! God never tolerates sin in the Bible, but he always does everything he can to convince people to come out of their sin, so they don't have to be judged. 

Here are a few verses to ponder:

Jeremiah 31:3

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.' "

Ezekial 18:23,32

" 'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord GOD, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?... For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord GOD. 'Therefore turn and live!' "

Ezekial 33:11

"Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' "

Lamentations 3:31-36

"For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. To crush under one's feet all the prisoners of the earth, to turn aside the justice due a man before the face of the Most High, or subvert a man in his cause-- the Lord does not approve."

Also, read Hosea 11, especially verse 8, which shows the heart of God when he has to bring judgment on someone: 

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred."

Book Review: The Bravehearted Gospel

This book is radical.

I like radical.

This is the kind of book that makes you uncomfortable, that says things that are not normally said, that opposes our culture, that dives into those difficult areas we normally never explore, and brings a truth we so desperately need to hear.

Truth.

The title of my blog is "Pursuing the Truth". This book, The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy, is one of the few books I've ever read that captures the essence of that idea so perfectly and entirely. It is one of the few books I've ever read that is simply bursting with the concept I think of when I say... "Pursuing the Truth." 

Truth. This book is just oozing with it.

This book is about a new way -- or rather, an old way -- of looking at Christianity and our relationship with Jesus. It is "new" in the sense that it is very different, in certain respects, from the church at large today. It is "old" in the sense that it is what the basis of Christianity is all about. This is what Christianity used to be like... but something has been lost.


For all who are craving something more in the Church... for all who are concerned about the modern state of Christianity... for all who desire a Christianity that "actually works"... for all who are hungering for more meatiness, meaning, power, and adventure in their walk with Jesus... this book is for you!


I would encourage you to watch the short film below. This very powerful short film embodies much of the essence of this book (the voice you hear is the author, Eric Ludy). If this film stirs you at all... the book, The Bravehearted Gospel, will stir you even more.




As always, here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book, to give you even more of an idea of what this book is made of. :-)

"Most people today attempt to make a sales pitch for the gospel as if it were sweet plums and fairy dust, when it more accurately should be cast as an adventure full of blood, death, insurrection, trouble, persecution, and certain difficulty, with a shocking and ultra-dramatic final chapter in which the good guys win. In my opinion, this adventure dimension should be our sales pitch."

"Christianity is about a kingdom, a glory, a power, a love, a grace, a righteousness, an eternal triumph, and yielding to the all-powerful King who is bringing it all about."

"All I care about is this Someone [Jesus] who has intoxicated my soul with effusive passion. I love Him so much it hurts with the most beautiful hurt."

"The gospel life is an adventure, plain and simple."

"The bravehearted path... [is] a violent and effusive love story between a Bridegroom and His bride, in which the Bridegroom radically spends His life to rescue His bride and then the bride, in turn, radically spends her life for the fame and renown of her Groom."

"The stuff of the Bravehearted Gospel is the stuff of frontline soldiers. It's the stuff of martyrs and mighty men."

"The Bravehearted Gospel is not just another idea; it's historic Christianity. It's the way it has always been and must always continue to be."

 Interested yet? Read more about The Bravehearted Gospel, or buy it on Amazon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Another Word...

Now, I have a few comments I want to make on two of the concepts in the book. But, I would encourage you to read the book first, and then come back and read my thoughts... because you won't be able to amply appreciate these thoughts out of context.

Thought #1 

In chapter 10, Ludy talks about Christians trying to be "cool". I think I agree with him in this chapter, but we need to be careful; I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing cool clothes, unless their immodest. It's the heart that's important. I don't think there's anything wrong with "being cool" in general, unless it means doing things that are immoral. (You can still wear torn jeans and be 100% on fire, in love with Jesus.) 

Cool is fine -- unless you're changing what Christianity is in order to be cool. And I think that's his point.


Thought #2


In the section of the book entitled "The Canon-mind", Ludy talks about having a "canon-minded" view of scripture, versus an "open-minded" view. (By the way, this is an awesome chapter -- I highly recommend it. You can read part of it here.) Once again, I think Ludy is right, but we need to be careful. :-) 

Open-mindedness isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I see it. When he talks about open-mindedness, he's talking about being open and receiving all forms of faith and all perspectives, and treating them on the same level as GOD's truth, as if they're all "just as right". As he says on page 183, "It's all-accepting, tolerant of all thoughts, opinions, ideas, and religions." Of course, that is wrong. Ludy is right on that.


But open-mindedness doesn't always have to mean that. I'm not talking about unquestioning acceptance of all other beliefs; I'm talking about avoiding the "Matthew Brady" stereotype. Brady, in the movie "Inherit the Wind", was a falsely portrayed Christian who believed in Christianity and Creation "just because". He had no reasons or evidence for his beliefs; he believed it with unquestioning certainty simply because "the Bible said so", because that's just what he believed. (Whereas Eric Ludy presents a very sound reason for trusting the Bible in this chapter! Again, I really recommend it.)


Brady had never read or looked at the other side -- not once -- and he was proud of it. He was unreasonable, and irritatingly unpersuadable -- not because he was firmly grounded, convinced, and confident in the truth -- but simply because that's what he had chosen to believe, and that was that. He was "close-minded". (Read more about my thoughts on Inherit the Wind and Matthew Brady.) 

When Christians have this mindset, it is very hard for nonbelievers to find us believable. "And why do you believe that? Oh, because the Bible says so..."

The Bible is the source of all truth. But if it is, (which it is), it should stand up against all other false beliefs and worldviews. An open-minded Christian, as I see it, knows that the Bible is 100% true, the source of all things true and right... but will look at other views anyway, for the sake of arguing with and persuading nonbelievers. 


"And, why do you believe that?"


"Well, let me show you why I know the Bible is true, and why all these things are true..."


This way, we have an answer. (1 Peter 3:15-16)


An "open-minded" Christian, as I see it, goes into the world of foreign, false beliefs, armed with the knowledge and assurance that the Bible, that Christianity, is the only correct way... not because they are seeking other alternatives with an "adulterous"-like heart, but because they are looking to prove that God is right -- for the sake of persuading others, and for a strengthened faith in their own heart. I guess this is a biased way of searching out truth, but I believe it is right... it is biased with the truth.


~~~~~~~~~


Well, if you're still reading this article, what are you waiting for?! Go to Eric Ludy's site right now and check out his book, The Bravehearted Gospel. (Then, of course, buy it... either on Ludy's site or on Amazon.) You will never be the same!

Book Review: Mere Christianity

I just finished another book: Mere Christianity. Since it's such a famous, classic book in Christian literature, I'm not going to go into a detailed review, but I will say a couple things. 

First, I'm going to share a quote that I thought applies pretty well to Mere Christianity. I found it on the back cover of my copy of the book:

"C. S. Lewis is the ideal persuader for the half-convinced, for the good man who would like to be a Christian but finds his intellect getting in the way." - Anthony Burgess, New York Times Book Review

But Mere Christianity is not just for unbelievers. It is for believers as well, to see Christianity with a fresh, different perspective, to be more equipped for Christian apologetics and for sharing their faith with unbelievers, and to become more solid in their own beliefs. 

Mere Christianity deals with a lot of tough questions, and uses logic and reasoning to answer them. It can be pretty deep and often makes you think, but C. S. Lewis frequently uses excellent analogies and metaphors that make all of his concepts seem simple, straight-forward, and easy to understand. In fact, I think this is probably one of his best gifts as a writer: his beautiful use of analogies.

My personal copy of the book is scribbled all over with notes, underlining, and stars, with a few pages dog-eared for my favorite quotes. Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book. (I'm putting brief phrases and questions at the beginning of each quote, so you can tell, at a glance, what topics they're on.)

We are at war, in enemy-occupied territory...

"Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. ... Enemy-occupied territory -- that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage."

 Something even better than earthly romance

"The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water."

Why do Christians still sin??

"A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble -- because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out."

 What does Christianity say about totalitarianism and democracy?

"And immortality makes this other difference, which, by the by, has a connection with the difference between totalitarianism and democracy. If individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilisation, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual. But if Christianity is true, then the individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a civilisation, compared with his, is only a moment."

A "big" sin vs. a "small" sin

"One man may be so placed that his anger sheds the blood of thousands, and another so placed that however angry he gets he will only be laughed at. But the little mark on the soul may be much the same in both. ... The bigness or smallness of the thing, seen from the outside, is not what really matters."

The desire for another world...

(Two quotes on this topic.)

"The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthy pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.' "

"I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same."

How can God be three persons in one??

"In God's dimension, so to speak, you find a being who is three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one cube. Of course we cannot fully conceive a Being like that: just as, if we were so made that we perceived only two dimensions in space we could never properly imagine a cube."

Our free will is like a choosing compass...

"Their [unbelievers'] free will is trembling inside them like the needle of a compass. But this is a needle that can choose. It can point to its true North; but it need not. Will the needle swing round, and settle, and point to God?"

Book Review: Captivating

I just read the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. It continues in somewhat of the same tradition as Epic and Wild at Heart (two books also written by John Eldredge). Captivating specifically focuses on the unique soul of a woman. I highly recommend it; I think every woman, or young woman, should read this book at least at some point in their lifetime.


Like Eldredge's other books, Captivating is about the deepest meaning of life... a passionate, romantic relationship with Jesus. You'll see yourself, God, and the world in general from a different perspective after reading these books.


There were two things that I especially liked about Captivating. First, it offers a definition for true femininity; and out of the few books I've read on the topic, none came anywhere close to the powerful, liberating, beautiful presentation of femininity that John and Stasi Eldredge describe. 

For an example, I loved how they addressed the issue of feminine "strength". It's been often said, in answer to the feminist movement, that women can be just as "strong" as men; we just have a different kind of strength, even though it isn't always physical. I've always believed that; always believed that females have their own kind of strength... but I've never understood how that plays out, exactly. Sure, okay, we are strong in other ways... I know that... but what ways are they? Exactly? What are some examples of this? Captivating answers this question perfectly, beautifully. Yes, women do have their own form of Godly, feminine strength... and it is just as powerful and influential as a man's strength. But, you will have to read the book to know the answer... I'm not going to spoil it for you. :-)


Second, I loved how the Eldredges answered another major question: the question of beauty. In the church, we often say that true beauty flows from the inside out, not vice versa (1 Peter 3:3-4). Well... that's a great saying... but what does that mean, exactly? Captivating answers this question; it shows how absolutely, totally true this concept is. The answer is amazingly real and applicable, for every single woman on earth. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book...

"Nature is not primarily functional. It is primarily beautiful."

(Just look at the picture above! I took it while on vacation in Florida, on a tiny island close to Tampa. I thought that sunset was such a gorgeous display of God's beauty and romance. Sometimes nature can be God's version of chocolates or flowers...)

"It is God who longs for Romance; it is God who longs to be our ezer [someone we desperately need, as if in a life-or-death situation where He is our only hope]; it is God who reveals beauty as essential to life. You are the image bearer of this God. That is why you long for those things to."

(The context of this quote is this: man and woman were both made in the image of God; we each reflect different things about who He is. Thus, this is some of how women bear His image. Isn't that an amazing concept?)

"Following hard after Jesus is the heart's natural response when it has been captured and has fallen deeply in love with him."

" 'To be spiritual is to be busy.' 'To be spiritual is to be disciplined.' 'To be spiritual is to be dutiful.' No, to be spiritual is to be in a Romance with God. The desire to be romanced lies deep in the heart of every woman. It is for such that you were made. And you are romanced, and ever will be." 

" 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.' (1 Peter 3:3-4)

"First, Peter is not saying that we shouldn't enjoy wearing pretty things. What he's trying to say is that true beauty comes from the inner part of us. Our hearts. ... To have a gentle and quiet spirit is to have a heart of faith, a heart that trusts in God, a spirit that has been quieted by his love and filled with his peace." 

"A woman wants to feel beautiful. The strength of a good man makes her feel so. A man wants to feel strong. The beauty of a good woman makes him feel so."

"No matter how wonderful a taste of relational fullness you have, you will want more. If you had an amazing connection yesterday with someone, when you wake this morning, you will want it again. Eve possesses a bottomless well of longing. Jesus alone is the never-ending fount, which can slake her thirst. No other source, no other relationship will fully satisfy."

"If you are called, God will make a way. Either where you are or through a change of circumstances. Follow your Lover; respond to his invitations. With him, there is no stopping you."

Click here to see Captivating on Amazon.

 

Click here (www.ransomedheart.com) to visit the site of the authors, John and Stasi Eldredge, and learn more about their ministry.

The Entire Purpose of Life, the Reason We Exist, the Meaning of All Our Deepest Desires and Longings... in 10 Words

A passionate,

romantic

relationship

with the God

of the universe.