Creativity is part of our true Homecoming as humans!

Towards and article on…..why art still matters in our true spirituality. How it helps us see “the redeemable other”, including ourselves, more accurately!

The imagination is bigger than just making art, it is part of being human, and part, of what, from a Christian perspective, we must bring into a tranformative, redemptive, formational relationship with The Nature of Life of Christ! What happens when Christ comes into the imagination is we begin to see both ourselves and others more as He does. We have a new creative interpretation of others. This strikes at the root system of both racism and poverty, for we start to coming into God’s dialogue towards people under or moving in both ways of seeing!

First, we must see ourselves more from God’s perspective, but we can grow to seeing others and our world, more as He does, if we allow Him to incarnate in our creativity. Creativity is not just for breakfast anymore, or art galleries, it is an essential part of our personal formation and becomes a huge part of how we disciple or guide others towards their true identities!

As one friend put it, “We no longer have the luxury of esteeming reason, our physical bodies or any other area as our “god”, we need to bring the whole self to the whole Cross and be transformed! This includes our creative faculties!” When we do, it affects how we treat and view others. A baptized creativity leads to better ethics, in short!

How racism and poverty can be overcome by a baptized imagination:

Just one of the reasons why creativity and art still matter in a real, lived, existential, day to day way—it helps overcome racism and poverty! Two of our greatest enemies in our times!

From a Christian perspective, Christ wants to incarnate in every area of who we are, including our creativity and imagination. When He does, we start to see other people differently and more dynamically, and this topples an I-it racist or class system based view of one another. In short, we come into an active creative dialogue with the “Living” God! The Creator. And together in creative dialogue, we begin to see ourselves and others more through His View. We begin to creatively steward ourselves and those around us, and His creation! Live, become a collaboration!

Through Him, as He gets into our perception and creativity, we start to see people more as family or kin. We become adept in emoting and expressing His View, treatment and emotions towards one another. We start to be more truly human in our encounters with one another; and we ourselves get more free to be, in the process. Art can help us see one another more as God does, and so love our neighbors as ourselves.

“Poverty of the imagination leads to all other sorts of poverty-economic, racial-if we do not see ourselves and our world through an illuminated by Love, imagination, we will always be trapped in a flat version of life, and even ourselves. When the imagination is healed, and made more whole-that is when we see more from God’s eyes, our actions into the world is altered and we encounter one another more in Love’s dialogue.” Anonymous Monk.

If, conversely, you have a rich spiritual imagination, no situation is desperate. For Spirit filled creativity contextualizes and interprets our situations. We perish from lack of knowledge yes, but also from lack of proper sight! When Christ get’s into our perception, we start to act out as we truly see through His Lens. That lens of Love!

“Racism most clearly, reveals a poverty of imagination! For it cannot imagine the poetry of others God is trying to write. Instead it writes others off, boxing their beings in a projection of our latest fears.” Anonymous Monk.

So, one way to head at to roots of racism, rather than just fighting false ideology, is to help heal the imagination- how we image others! When I see you as another friend in creative dialogue with their Creator, everything changes about how I treat you!

It seems self evident that we need a clearer view and more dynamic version of one another in order to make it in our times! Creativity in this sense becomes a healing agent, especially in times in which fear and projection from old wounds, dominate our perceptions and interpretations of one another! Can I see you through the creative, collaborative, dynamic lens of Love? Is still the question.

God is creative, and dynamic in how He perceives us. We too, are meant to have an alive and growing perception of one another. “Where the Spirit of The Lord is there is Freedom!” Freedom and growth in the area of how we see one another! This is His ministry to and into the imagination!

The same would be true of the spirit of poverty which sees self in terms of economics! We are more than what we have, as St Paul said—I’ve learned to have much or little and still know spiritual contentment!

It’s a matter of seeing our situation from God’s eyes, whether poor or rich, in prison, as his case, or free to roam about. How we “see” and interpret our situation is the key to freedom. And the imagination has a huge part to play in how we interpret things. Creativity is more than art, it allows for a more dynamic way of interpreting and hence loving one another! For that reason alone, it is worth “discipling and baptizing the imagination” in our days.

If we are called to disciple the whole person, and to be in a process of formation (including ourselves), and nations, into the Name or identity of Christ, then as Christians, we must not neglect bringing the imagination into the the fullness of The Head! How do you see me, and how do you see this situation or other person, is a spiritual practice now!

The imagination is meant to be what sees and images things as they are, and are meant to be! The prophets modeled this, but now we must all incarnate it! Help me “see” others and myself the way You see! Art is part of what we are as humans, and so part of what we are partnering in bringing “home” and stewarding into wholeness!

When we do so, we will begin to be better interpreters of the times, more prophetic (and it is no accident that the prophets were creative!), but also, perforce, move in more Love towards others, especially those unlike us! In this sense, an en-Light-ened imagination is key to overcoming a racist view of the world, and a way to overcome seeing ourselves as stuck in poverty. Overcoming a poverty of imagination is one way to fight both racism and abject poverty!

When we become rich in His Imagination, we no longer judge ourselves economically, or by skin tone or outer appearances. Jesus looked only at the heart in order to interpret and locate our true needs and quest-ions!

In fact, when we see what He has done and is doing for us, and the depth of care and desire to be in and with us, in creative dialogue, we immediately know we are rich spiritually, and want to serve others to escape those static categories of perception! Racism is shattered by His Own creative Perception and deep love for us all!

Jesus was constantly trying to reveal this. And He did so to the cultural insiders and outsiders, to Nicodemus and to the Samaritan woman and the Centurion! He wanted to free up their imaginations of things, and get them to start dialoguing again with the Living Father, and His Perceptions!

Baptizing the imagination into Christ is a great starting point of seeing things more as they actually ARE. And therefore, falling in Love with one another! As CS Lewis pointed out, if we SAW one another as God sees us, we would be amazed, and perforce come into a loving relationship with one another.

Art is part of being human, and so part of what needs to enter, come in communion with the Nature of Christ, so we can begin to see and interpret more in and from His Love—the God who is Love beckons us to enter more fully. What started at the re-formation, wants to go on into a deeper formation in every area of who we are to form us into the brothers of Jesus and sons and daughters of The Most High.

In this sense, the imaginations of His People are being “called home” into Him more deeply in our days. And our creativity can and should be becoming His playground for the New Creation!

Bringing our creativity into our personal relationship with God is essential for us all. This is not just a call for artist but for us all-to come fully home into The Father’s House of Love, for the whole of who we are, one another is, and for the whole of His Creation! Creativity is part of this homecoming!