Art and God

Art is for God. There's no doubt in my mind about this. He's the One who created it in all its variety – painting, drawing, writing, music, gardening, photography, sports, drama, to mention a few. Art is by Him and for Him.

Art is a medium for exhibiting God's creative and excellent ability. It is a means for showing who He is, what He stands for and what means a lot to Him. God speaks through our artistry and that's why any serious believer called to the world of art should think about how they can allow God to speak through them. That's why I believe music should be an expression of Him – His nature, character, abilities, etc. That's why I believe writers should get revelations from God to write. That's why painters and drawers should get powerful inspiration from the Almighty that will turn the world of art upside-down. This means we have to develop the ability to hear God through the various ways in which He speaks.

I've heard it said many times that art is about expression – expressing emotions inside as well as the environment in which we live. Recently, there was a competition organized by Kwani? for young people to write about the Kenya in which we live. Of course each writer came up with their own perspective about the Kenya they see through their own eyes. They were expressing 'Kenya' in different ways using the same media of writing.

If art is about expression, then what are we expressing? We tend to express what is going on inside of us. Take the example of a piece of music that moves you to tears or sadness; it means the person who wrote or sang it was probably feeling those same emotions at the time. What have you been expressing with your art – good or bad? We are instructed to think on things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue and of praise. When we dwell on such thoughts they will affect and shape the art that we produce. The question, then, is, what is going on inside of you?

God's purpose in creation was and is EXPRESSION. He is always looking for NEW ways to express not only His nature but also His will; what He wants to accomplish on earth. Art provides both variety and the creativity God needs for those new expressions. Art is also individual, in that each artist has his/her own way of doing it so that there is a distinctiveness that marks personal taste. If I draw a tree, some other artist will draw the exact same tree I'm looking at but produce it differently. If I plant a garden, the way it looks will be different from another gardener even though we use the same species of flowers or shrubs. There's always a personal touch to our art and we need to celebrate that because it comes from God; He made us to be specific individuals for His glory.

So we celebrate art, not so much for who does it but for how much we can express through it. However, that expression needs to be not just entertaining but also wholesome; something that benefits humanity positively and does not take away from who God made us to be. More next time on this!