The Original

Who is “The Original”? God. He is the original of every art form, whether it's visual, performing, cultural, or mainstream. Why? He created it. Take a panoramic view around you. What do you see? The evidence of His artistic abilities. The complexity of His creation is a sign of His artistic skill and craft. The significant testimonies and life stories that take place within each persons'  life span, is a mirror image of His writing abilities. He carefully writes the stories of our lives to touch the hearts of other individuals as a tool of encouragement.  Look at the Bible. It is a record of God’s existence. Within the God inspired text holds comedy, tragedy, adventure, and romance. 

    Because man was created by Him, made in His image, and a user of His resources, we are simply borrowers of His originality. Some have legally gained access in borrowing His patented works by vowing to committing their lives to the divine mandate of devoting their art to Him; ministering life to  their culture. Others have illegally borrowed His originality, claiming it as their own, and perverting the artwork. It is a privilege to even have an impartation of His artistic ability.

    It’s amazing to see how as God’s stewards, man has claimed to have progressed in visual and performing arts. Though it is partially correct in the “Christian world,” man has failed in the "secular world."  Man is far from progression. We have failed to realize that everything belongs to God. All art is God. Man perverts the very essence of art. Therefore, the secular vocal artist that the church abstains from listening to must not have the revelation that the song artist's artistic ability is actually God. The tainted lyrics are just a distortion and reflection of lack of discipleship; a soul that is need of the Father. Since we fearfully isolate from the world, we ban so much until we filter out the artistic richness that actually is God. Filter the sin, keep the art. There is no such thing as Christian music, when God created all music. Music is Music. There is no such thing as Christian dance, when God created dance. Dance is dance. Christian music does not necessarily have to be Choir, when God created all genres of music. Christian dance does not have to be strictly miming and liturgical when God created all forms of dance expression. 

    The term “Christian” is the biblical label of a group of people who choose to follow Christ. I don't necessarily believe in using the terms "secular" and "Christian" because all belong to God. I absolutely have no shame in being labeled as a Christian. However, society has abused this term as a means of separating Christ from our culture. Christ is the culture; not every art form must present with flashing lights "Jesus Christ is Lord," when Christ should be implied in all things.

In Conclusion:

   The Church fears in losing God’s holiness. So they abstain from many art forms. Though it is wise to abstain and not accept, we must ask God for a balance. They abstain from so much until they miss who and where God really is. It is the duty of artists, God’s stewards and co creators of our culture, to not erase the art that is already there, but disciple the earthly artist that is lost. That way the art may be filtered, and they gain knowledge in their ability to speak life into the culture.

    Do not wait for the day when all art forms surrender to the man-made, indoctrinated, & traditional "Christian" art discipline, but press for the day that all entertainment conforms to a repentant art form and brought back to its original mandate, to speak life into our culture.

It is not an art issue; it is a heart issue…. Let us reclaim art back to the “The Original.” 

"The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein." 

Psalms 24:1 (KJV)

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