I'd like to speak in brief on the subject of Art. One of the saddest things about being an Evangelical Christian is the lack of truly original art that is generated by this community. I was recently conversing with a friend about Catholic novelists, when I realised that there have been no modern evangelical (or many times even protestant) authors that have made a name for themselves in the literary world (at this point I'm going to have to veto LeHaye and Jenkins' Left Behind Series). If they are out there, I am currently unaware of them. Evangelicalism has failed to produce many aritists.

This is strange to me, because Christianity has a very rich artistic tradition. From the great religious paintings of the Renessaince, to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress to the early composers of gospel hymns and spirituals. What I think limits the "art" generated by much of the Christian Evangelical community is that it is immitative, shallow, and uninclusive.

For proof of the evangelical obsession with the immitation of popular culture, simply walk into any Christian Bookstore. You will find shirts with Bible verses that spoof name brands. Cds will be hailed as the Christian parallel of a popular, secular artist. You will find many Christian "versions" of secular art. In order to appeal to popular culture, Christian art often works only by immitating what it sees. But what happens is the art looses its freshness and originality. While a musician seeks to immitate a secular musicians musical style, the lyrics are left trite and unappealing (which isn't to say there aren't exceptions; I find Switchfoot, Derek Webb, U2, to all be both original and uniquely Christian artists). Instead of paving the way for new artforms, we are more like a little brother tagging along with mainstream popular culture.

Many of the world's greatest artists have been depressive, alcoholics, loners, etc. Their art came from a deep well of pain in their life experiences. Anger, sadness, loneliness, fear, dispair are all powerful emotions that Christian artists often fail to fully draw upon. Often times a certain shallowness pervades Christian art. Its as if the attitude is "the Christian life should be a happy one, and so Christian art's primary themes should be those of love, joy and peace." However, much of Biblical writing contains a great deal of hurt and pain in a way that isn't always resolved. Christian novels often conclude with a trite and happy conclusion that alludes the lives of many real people. Paul himself writes about a thorn in the flesh that was never taken away. The lives of martyrs didn't end on necessarily happy notes. I fear that many Christian artists are fearful to draw fully on the "darker" emotions which constitute a very real part of the human existance.

Perhaps the greatest hindrance of Christian art, is the developement of a very unique Christian sub-pop-culture. This culture is subject to its own trends and band wagons. Many artists in appealing to this sub-culture, fail to capture the hearts and imagination of non-Christians. It is rare to find a successful evangelical author who publishes with a secular publishing agency. It is rare to find musicians that make serious air time on secular radio stations. The problem is, a Christian artist can make a living appealing only to Christians. But what is trendy to many Christians is heavily "spiritual" and not necessarily "artistic." Case in point: how often have you heard a popular Christian song with somewhat overly-inspiring lyrics and poorly written music?
Christians are often fearful of art outside the community. How many books have the Title "Finding God in______" or "The Gospel According to ________"? Its not that we shouldn't look for Christian truths outside the Bible, but perhaps Harry Potter, The Matrix, and the Lord of the Rings can stand for themselves with out being "spiritualized." Its as if we can't relate it dirrectly to God, it isn't worth our time.

So rise up artists of the new generation. How wonderful would it be to find a great American novel written by an evangelical. Or have an evangelical's work displayed in the the Smithsonian Museum of Art. Perhaps an evangelical musicain could be promoted on NPR? If God is the Father of all things creative, then surely His children can do more than pander to the whims of a fickle popular market that values personal spiritual experience over artistic integrity. Time will tell.

Prone to Stray
All they had to do was stay faithful. That was all God ever wanted of them. Yet, it was so easy to go to their idols. It was so easy to hoar themselves out to other gods. Why couldn’t the Israelites stay faithful? I fear that the same answer can be found in our culture today. Christianity in America has become exactly what both Ezekiel and Hosea talk of. First, Ezekiel speaks of the jewels. America is the best at displaying those jewels in which the country has come to be blessed with and we can find them quite evident on Sunday mornings. Why is it that the biggest churches are the quickest to show off their new building or flaunt their newest sound system? The answer lies in the fact that are flaunting their jewels just like the Israelites did with their land, people, and nation. It is our ability to make the religion something it is not and all the while Ezekiel cries out in trying to get both the Israelites, and possibly many Christians today’s attention. All we were asked to do is pick up our crosses; to have a child like faith. But we are so much more attentive at numbers, the best music, or the best pastor, or just merely the best current study. We stray away from our faith. We forget that Jesus is the center and everything else revolves around that. All though this may be the intent, or hope of the church, it is hard to see in the way they convey what they want to show.

Further, Hosea understands. He probably understands American culture far better then many people that live in the culture do. He understands what it is like to have a wife flaunt her to many different idols in a sexual sense. Funny how Americans, and specifically Christians, have rather high statistics when it comes to people being divorced. We have found that if we do not like where we are at we will drop it just as quickly as we picked it up.

My question is simple; and I ask the question because I don’t know how to go about answering it. I want to ask when will the church stop accepting simple complacent Christianity and trade it in for a faith that will die for what it believes? I want to ask why money is so important and pleasure is what fulfills us? I ask why I am so quickly able to worship whatever idol I am struggling in my life? Even if it is simple unbelief, but as I put anything in front of Christ I instantly have an idol. I fear the answer is that we don’t know how. The realization is that we, as far back as the Israelites, were so very prone to stray. I am not different then the nation God tried to bless only to see it walk away. I see both myself and many Christians constantly embrace faith only to turn around and then embrace an idol in the form of sex, drugs, alcohol, or even just wanting to spend time with someone we love more then spending time with the God who loves far more. Still I turn with a stomachache. Some kind of sick taste in my mouth. I am unable to answer these questions. That is when I realize that Christ died for my ability to stray. We all will end up starting with this, and hope that Christ takes over and radicalizes who we are and what we are becoming from there.
Prone to Stray 10/17/05 Curtis P. Brophy

This is it, the begining. A true chance to shake things up. No longer can followers of Christ be lumped with facets of the political spectrum, or any group for that matter! It wears me out to try and make Christianity "fit" in today's world - the truth is that Christ was radical and did not could not fit in a world void of love or social justice or absolutes or tolerance or peace or... fill in the gap!
Now for once we can all take a good look at American Christianity for what it is - A religion, not a true belief in the Son of God and His teachings but a system, nothing more than a series of traditions and practices that really sets them/us apart from no one! I am sick and tired of this wishy washy Christianity! It truly was and is meant to be a radical movement. Let's change things folks - what is wrong? What is it that Christians are being, if they are not being loving? I really want to know - no one is willing to take this subject on and it sickens me! The rest of the country seems to have an opinion on what a "Christian" is, why don't Christians? This is a post without answers but loaded with questions. Answer please!

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