Christians, Now Is the Time to Create

Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone.
John Lennon’s Imagine.
Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit.

What do these three singles have in common? Well, all three of them almost always appear in the top 10 of any “Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Despite a wide range of personal preferences when it comes to music, these hits are universally praised by critics and the masses alike as objectively excellent. But their greatness isn’t the only common thread they share.

These songs were also written from the perspective of shattered ideals. Dylan wrote about a person once in their prime now “without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.” Lennon sang about a personal utopia, but only as a dreamer who was wide awake to the greed, hunger, and lack of peace on our planet. And Nirvana crafted one of the most muddled teen revolution anthems ever recorded, molded by a crisis of meaning, an interest in anarchy, and the ambition to make the ultimate pop song.

Now, there’s a place for feel-good music. (Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys makes a lot of top 10 lists, too!) But there’s just as much cultural real estate given to songs written from a place of imperfection, longing, and lamenting. Why? Because whether it’s writing songs, decorating the house, or sculpting clay, the art we make is an artist’s take at reflecting the world around them or inside them - or oftentimes both. And our world is less than ideal.

This isn’t merely a cultural pattern; it’s a biblical one. Alongside the romantic poetry found in his Song of Songs, King Solomon wrote eloquently about his existential experiment in Ecclesiastes that yielded nothing but vanity, meaninglessness, and the fleeting nature of worldly pleasure. David not only wrote psalms at the summit of his spiritual highs, but he penned heart-wrenching pleas to the Lord in the throes of personal sin, uncertainty, and danger. The prophet who gave us our favorite coffee-cup verse (For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.), wrote an entire book called Lamentations, reflecting on the destruction of their temple, their city, and their hope.

And this biblical pattern isn’t simply a human one; it’s a pattern of God himself. The opening lines of Scripture quite literally demonstrates God’s creativity in the midst of an imperfect world. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be…” Light. An expanse. Land and sea. Plants and trees. Sun and moon and stars. Living creatures. Man and woman.

God looks upon the less-than-ideal and creates. And even when his workmanship refuses to turn out as intended, he not only looks upon it, but enters into his creation. He doesn’t simply recreate, but redeems and restores what already exists. The lack of raw materials, opposition of spiritual powers, and presence of sin and suffering are not hindrances to his creative power, but opportunities for him to put the subject of his creativity on display all the more: his own goodness and glory, supremely seen in Christ.

As the church, we get to do this same thing. We have the opportunity right now to look upon the less-than-ideal and create. We get to plate meals, write cards, tell stories, or sing songs that aren’t bound by the spiritual powers at play or need to skirt the harsh realities of the day. Instead, we get to look upon the world that’s both outside of us and inside of us, reflecting not merely what everyone else sees, but what only Christ can make clear: the goodness and glory of God that has come near in times of trouble.

Now is the time for Christians to create. For some of us, our days and nights are without any sort of form or void of our regular busyness. An emotional and spiritual darkness rests over the face of our communities. And yet there is a beauty in the bad times that the church alone can uniquely display. What does that look like for you?

Don’t worry; if you can’t play an instrument, paint with a brush, or plate a meal, there are a million ways you can create. Start a tradition. Build something. Make an experience. Host a conversation. Read a book with someone. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord. Worship him in it. And share it with others, that they might catch a glimpse of his glory and worship him, too.