All Good Art is God’s Art
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
This is the second piece of a two part essay about Christians, “Christian” art, and how Christians should make more good art. Part 1 is here.
My previous essay’s thesis, in much fewer words, is that too often Christian art is co-opted to be a crappy sermon rather than a profound insight into the human condition or a beautiful rediscovery of a timeless truth. With that wonderfully uncontroversial statement, let’s move onward to how all good art is God’s art.
Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar, U2, Kid Cudi, Bob Dylan, Chance the Rapper, Smashing Pumpkins, Johnny Cash, 2Pac, Kanye West, Brand New.
What’s listed above isn’t a list of my favorite music artists (I do happen to like all of them a lot). As far as genre goes it’s all over the place. Even as far as artistic… talent, there’s definitely variance of quality if they are all compared to each other.
You know what they have in common?
They all have songs about God. Most have multiple.
Now the first response to that by some Christians might be “but are they even Christian?” Well, according to that standard, at least half are “believers.” And yet, none of them are “Christian” artists.
And I think that’s why their songs about the Creator connect so deeply to me. “Jesus Christ” by Brand New is about… Jesus Christ. Shocker, I know. But it’s the most unique song focused on Christ I’ve ever heard. The singer’s lament about his distrust in God and the fact that he doesn’t feel worthy to be saved is so incredibly human. So many moments in my life have been marked by this feeling. So few “Christian” songs approach this feeling in such a raw, brutal manner. So many times at church, when I’d sing worship song after worship song, I’d drive away from service with “Jesus Christ” reminding me that I wasn’t crazy to doubt and struggle with this Christianity thing.
“The Bells” by Smashing Pumpkins? This two minute, obscure, definitely not top 40 hit? Billy Corgan sings about the fear of not measuring up. Of the alluring call of Christ contrasting with a human heart that fears they aren’t good enough to come to him.
I relate to this feeling all the time.
Too depressing for you? What about “Blessings” by Chance the Rapper? “Jesus Walks” by Kanye West? “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar?
Not into hip-hop? What about “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2? “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash?” “To Be Alone with You” by Sufjan Stevens?
Many talented artists inevitably sing about God because God is such a big topic to explore. Belief or disbelief in Him, the wonder of His creation, the confusion of His lack of answer to prayer.
God is a rife context to play music about. So then, why has He been locked in a box of the same three guitar chords? The same U2 sounding riffs? The same always cheerful and redemptive lyrics?
Why are “Christian” artists allowed to only sing about the blessings of God? Why can’t they lament? Why can’t they sing a blessing and a lament in the same tune?
The song that’s given me the most shed tears ever is “fin” by Anberlin. I wish I could be cooler and cite a more obscure, indie band, but alas, I must always write the truth. For those millennials that grew up in the church, that might be surprising. Anberlin was definitely a “Christian” band. In fact, at my high school, it was popular to enjoy either Switchfoot, Relient K, or my beloved Anberlin as a favorite “counter cultural” Christian band. Yet that same counter cultural streak is what I respected about each of the bands.
The spirit of rock, of hip-hop, of metal, of jazz before all of them, is about being against the grain. About “sticking it to the man,” so to speak. I love Jack Black’s speech about it in the film School of Rock.
The Man. Oh, you don't know the Man? He's everywhere. In the White House, down the hall... Ms. Mullins, she's the Man. And the Man ruined the ozone, and he's burning down the Amazon, and he kidnapped Shamu and put her in a chlorine tank! Okay? And there used to be a way to stick it to the Man, it was called rock 'n roll. But guess what? Oh no. The Man ruined that, too, with a little thing called MTV! So don't waste your time trying to make anything cool, or pure, or awesome, 'cause the Man is just gonna call you a fat washed up loser and crush your soul. So do yourselves a favor and just GIVE UP!
This is obviously comedic, but the thrust of what he’s saying I wholeheartedly agree with. The point of art is to illuminate the truth. To unravel and reveal what people would rather see remain hidden.
So can I be honest for a sec? A lot of cultural Christianity has obscured truth. Christian truths. Biblical truths. Universal truths.
The spirit of this culture has been “the man” to many talented Christian artists. In an effort to put everything into a formula of a) have a lot of faith, b) work really hard, and c) trust God will make everything work out in the end, we have given no space for Christian artists to express humanity in their work. There is no room to doubt. No space to be frustrated. No opportunity to utter something like the words of David and later Jesus on the cross; My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? I for one have had enough of this spirit. And many artists have had enough too.
The tail end of the school year 2016 was frustrating for me. After striking out in dating dozens of times, struggling at work with particularly challenging little ones, and with little to no spiritual direction (or participation), I was depressed.
The deconstructing, “I’m spiritual but not quite Christian thing” wasn’t working. And atheism is something I’ve never really thought plausible for me.
So when my sister started raving about this young new Chicago rapper named Chance, I was keen to try a new MC as my listening rhythm of Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, someone else, repeat, was wearing thin.
The opening track of Coloring Book soared within me. Something was infectious about this crazy, almost absurdly gospel oriented hip-hop music. This wild optimism in spite of overwhelming odds resonated with me. His subtle nods to the king of kings, giving Satan “a swirlie,” how his then ex girlfriend drove him nuts but now they were in love and blessed with a wonderful daughter.
It was profoundly human and profoundly spiritual. I believed every word he said. I knew he was talking about his own life and not someone else’s. It felt like he was talking to me, and telling me I didn’t need to be depressed anymore. That he had been there, understood what I was going through, and hoped I could get through it. All in the manner of a four minute opening track to a music cd.
The best art connects deepest to genuine human experience. When there is no agenda, only truth, there is no pretense. No room to tell a lie. No cause to broadcast what isn’t happening.
That’s what I have found in the art I’ve loved most in my life. Whether it be music, films, paintings, books, or even tv shows.
Don’t show me love without loss. Success without scars. Humor without sadness. I want all of the heart of a musician, of a filmmaker, of an author, a photographer. Show me the uncut film, the rough drafts, the tears, the struggling you endured to get where you are now. Your edited agenda will never work on me.
I recently told my spiritual director I always want to speak the truth. And my issue with so much “Christian” art is the truth it speaks is neither true nor Christian. It isn’t true because the cookie cutter, neat and tidy songwriting, storytelling, and stage production of a “just have enough faith and it will all work out” art style does not confront any human issues. It isn’t Christian because Christ never promised an easy life, never promised pleasant circumstances, and never promised that having enough faith would somehow make sense of all of the confusion, tragedy, and chaos of life.
My church has emphasized lately the importance of a holistic spirituality. Where being healthy as a Christian means an end to a compartmentalized life. This is has been living water to a spiritually thirsty soul. I no longer have to pretend things are ok when they are not. I can be honest with myself and others, and others can be honest with themselves and with me. No more veneer, no more performance, no more putting on the church face. God, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, are the people I run to about what’s really going on in life. All good art, God’s art, reinforces this truth.
Yet, God has always been at work through the arts in my life. As the worship song “Way Maker” so aptly says, “even when I don’t see it, You’re working, even when I don’t feel it, You’re working. You never stop, You never stop working…”
Back in time again, let’s come to the year to end all years. Sophomore. 2008.
Obama got elected. My Christian school was outraged. A straw poll of my Bible class showed a whopping 90% of folks wanted McCain (RIP). Taylor Swift was already crushing the charts. Everybody’s parents only listened to Casting Crowns or the song “I Can Only Imagine” on an endless loop.
But my friends at public school, the long haired, skinny jean wearing “cussing” types, were all into metalcore.
What is metalcore? Well, for starters, it’s dead. It blew up in prominence amongst the alternative scenester high schoolers circa 2006-07. I came to the party a few years late.
At first I couldn’t stand the screaming. It freaked me out. And the previous year’s Bible class had me watch a documentary about the evils of metal music. It was hard to wash that cheesy, “turn or burn” movie out of my head.
But when those same edgy but honest public school friends told me most bands were “Christian,” I was shocked.
How could offensive sounding music be Christian? How could a song be considered Christian if it wasn’t a praise song? How could guys with more inked skin than blank skin talk about God and the Gospel in such a liberating way? Why did I connect with them way more than a clean cut, theologically reformed middle-aged guy?
I was riding with my friend Tanner through downtown Medford. Downtown of a mid-sized city is like a deluxe version of an outlet mall. There’s a lot of one way streets and identical shops but nothing worth stopping for. Anyway, Tanner loved this screaming, intimidating, remarkably honest “core” music, and his little white Toyota had a great sound system he was humble bragging to me about as we cruised around.
I started to hate the screaming a little less, and the mish mash of the yelling with singing was music to my ears. There was a Jekyll and Hyde kind of honesty in the style I never experienced with praise music.
Yet I’ll never forget the lyric that rocked my insecure, not entirely sure if I was a Christian mind.
“Get up, get up, He is calling your name. You don’t have to be something you’re not.”
The rest of the cd had similarly faith forming lines.
“He died for what He loved and what He loved was you.” (This is screamed, not sung)
It didn’t stop with that crabcore band.
“Life can be overwhelming, But don't turn your back on the strongest crutch you've ever had,
They have always been there to brace your fall“ (all screamed)
“He tells me that love will endure all things
I know that you are forever my brother.
Here I struggle with you my brother.
He tells me that love endures all things.”
All these lines spoke to me. They were screamed to me. Their desperation was obvious. Their struggle to love others and to obey God was tangible. And if these guys loved God, maybe I could to. Maybe even though I was really sinful, really selfish, and really insecure, I could still pray and be heard by God.
That’s what these long haired, skinny jean wearing, tattooed all over guys assured me. And although I don’t listen to this metal music anymore save for occasional nostalgic memory trips, they planted a seed that Chance expanded upon all those years later.
God can speak through anything and anyone. He isn’t confined to the capital “c” church. His presence is everywhere and His love is pervasive. Even American cultural Christianity couldn’t stop Him from speaking to a worn out, insecure, angry, sinful teenager.
The Bible itself uses poetry to illustrate the emotional roller coaster of a human heart wrestling with a mighty and loving God. He knew commandments wouldn’t be enough. He also knew humans appreciate nuance, complexity, and honesty.
I’m even throwing out the old model of reading Bible stories just to learn a “moral” lesson from them. I’m learning I can read a Bible story like how I read a short story. I don’t need to walk away thinking “I just need more courage like David” or “I need more trust like Mary.” I can read the story and marvel at how wonderful God is in spite of how broken humanity is. God can speak to me openly and honestly instead of my inner voice guilting me every time I open the book for all the ways I don’t measure up.
To summarize, any song, movie, book, painting, or tv show that leaves you in awe and wonder is God inviting you to marvel at the beauty of His creation, or in the creation of His creation. It doesn’t need a Christian brand to communicate Christian themes. The Holy Spirit uses any and all things we take delight in to show us a glimpse of the delight God had when He made the world and when He made us.
Therefore, look and seek and hunt for God in all of the art you love. Ponder deeply lyrics, scenes, pages and see where they parallel stories in the Scriptures. Take comfort in knowing that the potent joy you feel upon discovering artwork you love is the exact same potent joy God felt when He created you.
We are all masterpieces of an ingenious Designer. He loves that we love things. For within all beautiful things lies connection to the most beautiful thing, God Himself.