Sayings of Edith Schaeffer:
A Christian, above all people, should live artistically, aesthetically and creatively. We are supposed to be representing the Creator who is there, and who we acknowledge to be there... creative creatures of the Creator. (!)
Ideas carried out stimulate more ideas.
Doing something yourself will fulfill a need in you. And living with what you have made or restored will help you to express something which is you, living with an originality which speaks of the diversity of human personality as against the machine. Creativity is a part of personality.
Remember that your communication with God is to be not less vivid than with men, but more vivid and real.
...for the enrichment of the lives of those you live with, and as an unconscious spark to set fire to other dry wood, other creative creatures on a finite level.
My thought:
Creativity, for the creature, caries with it the same idea as theology, for the theologian, which I may add we are, each one of us, creatures and theologians (it's more a matter of the expression of our creativity and how good our theology is). To the point, I've heard it said theology is thinking God's thoughts after him. So it is with creativity, the creature is only creative to the extent of the creature's knowledge of the Creator and His creation. Thus, the lack of such knowledge leads to a distortion of beauty in creativity. So creativity is thinking the Creator's thoughts after him. I might even say we should all aspire to be better creative creature-theologians. It comes down to acknowledging our Creator-God always everywhere.
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2 comments:
Are these quotes from the book Meg was showing me? I love it! Will you send me the title of the book?
I like your comments about creativity and theology . . . but here's my question about creativity and knowledge of the Creator. What do we make of the people who seemingly do not have a relationship with God, and yet appear much more in touch with creativity than many of us . . . and why are so many of us Christians bogged down in the mediocre and somewhat cheap imitation?
jkbaylor,
Yes, it's called The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer.
I have the same question. My first thought is that all are created beings in the image of God. All are creative in some way or another. Knowledge of the Creator gives meaning to our creativity resulting in acknowledgment of the Creator or denial of the Creator. So the ignoramus is creative "to an unknown god" (Acts 17). Still thinking about it, though.
As for the boggy Christian, maybe it's an inadequate or wrong view of the Creator. I think the Christian who is aflame with the love of Christ is creative within the gifting the Creator has bestowed on that person. This is where I need to think outside the box of my preset notion of creativity. Could I say, "My limited creativity is a direct result of my limited view of God." I don't know.
Back to the creative ignoramus or atheist. Look at the flow of all creativity from beginning to present... less meaning, more busy. Are they creative? yes, but is their kind of creativity the same kind of creativity of the Creator? Life-giving or life-draining? Does God possibly use these to display his glory? I think so, but I am sad they can not find infinite joy in Him by their creativity. Most are driven to their wits end... many sad stories. You know? Check out Modern Art & the Death of a Culture by H.R. Rookmaker.
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