Artists...the prophetic voice

How an artist sees the world can be a valuable asset for the church as it engages its mission. Artists need to be about the serious business of creating work that is innovative in its concept, strong in its artistry, and marked by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. When human artistry connects with the purposes of God, extraordinary things can happen (Ex.40:35).

The arts have exercised a powerful prophetic role in the past. Will we encourage art making that is simply an echo of the culture? Or will Christians be a fresh voice bringing unique and innovative creative expressions and a biblical worldview to bear on the serious issues facing our world? As we have noted, interest in the arts has been growing among Christians in recent years. There has been a real surge in the training and preparing of dancers, actors, musicians, writers, and visual artists.

While we commend these initiatives, we must ask: where are the choreographers, directors, producers, and composers? These are the influencers, the change-agents who have the ability to make their vision a reality, and who control content, form, and production values.

With this in mind, we recommend a strategic investment in those who have developed their spiritual and artistic voice, who take creative risks, and who create thought-provoking work that offers a new reality in Christ. If as artists we remain just an echo of our culture, isolated from the community of faith, we will ultimately find ourselves in a cultural wasteland with other self-absorbed and bitter artists who have lost their way in the noise and confusion of the marketplace…from Lausanne Committee.