Creating
According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, in the Beginning, God created... God spoke and the sky was a crisp blue. God painted flamingos and budding flowers in bright pinks. God, the great Artist, gave us the sun and stars, and then God created us. Human people, in God's image, as part of God's magnificent portfolio of art. Every human being represents the piece de resistance, the flourished grande finale of God's symphony. And in God's image, we connect with our Creator when we, too, create.
History is evidence of our creative nature, that humanity was invited to engage the world as artists when we were created in God's image. Michelangelo's David, Bach's symphonies, Misty Copeland's Swan Lake, Shakespeare's sonnets, Julia Child's Coq Au Vin. A child's sidewalk drawings, coloring book scribbles, Easy Bake Oven cookies, Lego creations, campfire stories. All valuable, beautiful contributions to the Creator's portfolio of art. So, let's join in and co-create something with God.
Discover
Practice
Creating on your own
Creating with others
Go Deeper
Recommended Reading
If you are interested in this spiritual practice of creating and you would like to explore more and with greater depth, here are some resources you might like to utilize:
Books
- Pursuing an Earthy Spirituality, by Gary Selby
- Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura, N.T. Wright (foreword)
- All Along You Were Blooming, by Morgan Harper Nichols
- Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur
Art
- Stations in the Street // New Icons by Scott Erickson Art
- Pepperdine Studio Art Website
Practice, not Perfect
"Our failure is not that we chose earth over heaven: it is that we fail to see the divine in the earth, already active and working, pouring forth grace and spilling glory into our lives. Artists, whether they are professed believers or not, tap into this grace and glory."
Makoto Fujimura