Creativity: from God, towards God

If a student at your church asked you, “Can I use my love for painting in church?” how would you respond? If a young student is involved in theater or dance, can those be incorporated into church life or do they remain apart from life in the body of Christ? If the answer is, “I’m sorry but we don’t do that in church,” it leaves the student to wonder, Does God value my artistic interests? Does my creativity matter to God?

If artistic learning and artistic works are to have more than a pragmatic value in church, a theological understanding of art is required. I began a journey of discovery in this area 15 years ago asking, “What does the Bible teach about the value of music?” What I found was a broad understanding of creativity rooted in the stories of Scripture and tied inextricably to the nature of God.

Why is creativity important?

Harold Best, former professor of music at Wheaton College, writes, “Being made in the image of God means that we were created to act the way God acts. . . . Whatever character or attribute God inherently possesses and pours out, we were created finitely to show and to pour out after his manner.”¹

We’re made in the image of the Creator God (Gen. 1:1, 27); that means we also are able to create. We cannot do it as God can, but we have an innate desire, a compelling drive to be creative. God is Creator—big C, and we are creators—small c. The difference between us is that God creates from nothing and his creative actions can occur irrespective of scientific laws. We create within the bounds of what God has supplied, and we’re limited by the laws of nature. This fundamental truth underlies this entire discussion of creativity. God is the one source of all creativity.

God commanded creativity

In Scripture we see God commanding creative actions. Man’s first creative activity was naming the animals—“Whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name” (Gen. 2:19 NIV). It was an entirely abstract creative activity. Adam had no familiar list to base names on. He could use his imagination. When the Israelites built a tabernacle they would carry in the desert (Ex. 25–31), specific instructions were given for the utensils and furnishings. Some instructions were practical while others cover aesthetic features of the tabernacle. However, the people still had significant latitude for creativity. God is equally concerned with the engineering and the aesthetics of the final product. He is the creator of beauty/aesthetics (Ex. 25:31–34, 26:36) and the originator of design/engineering (Ex. 26:15–28).

Humans created intuitively

We first see mankind being creative on his own initiative immediately after the fall. They “realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Gen. 3:7). While God gave serious consequences for their sinful actions, he didn’t criticize their feeble attempts to make body coverings. You can almost imagine God saying, “Nice try, but that’s not going to work. Let’s do this instead.” Then he clothed them from animal skins, something with more durability, a better fit, comfort, and maybe even a little style (perhaps leopard skin).

Similarities between God’s creativity and human creativity

We also see in Genesis that God is sovereign over his creation; it’s completely under his control and direction. In a similar way, humans have control over what they create. Consider this example: When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the ten commandments, he confronted Aaron about the golden calf. Aaron said, “Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Ex. 32:24). We could imagine Moses thinking, That’s a world champion in the category of lame excuses. Such a creation would have required significant preparation and craft.

When an accomplished jazz player improvises, he draws on years of practicing scales, of developing riffs (motifs), of listening to other jazz artists, and assembles these accumulated ideas into a solo that “tells a story.” When a moment of musical inspiration hits, he may play something different than what he’s done previously, but it comes from the foundation of his practice and study. Though there may be a moment of artistic inspiration that is new, it’s still under the control of the artist. He remains sovereign over it.

Creativity and discovery

In Genesis 1 God tells Adam to “fill the earth and subdue it” (v. 28). “Subdue” is a peculiar word in this context. This directive was given before the fall, so there was no need to battle the animal kingdom into submission. To me it seems that “subdue” likely means to understand, to study, to figure out how the rest of God’s world works. Man was to be master over the earth with his mind and his reasoning. It was a command to use creativity and engage in discovery. “Subdue the earth” was a command to discover creation’s secrets.

Over many millennia humankind has harnessed the use of fire, developed tools and medicines, created musical instruments, spun fibers into textiles, and studied the natural world to learn the order for math and astronomy. These developments have not all been functional ones—aesthetic characteristics have been added to increase the value, whether it’s pottery, metalwork, textiles, or woodcraft.

Aesthetics matter to God

In modern cultures that place high value on efficiency and economy, aesthetics—whether public artwork or architectural features in a new sanctuary—are often seen as frivolous, a waste of money. Consider how God created—“The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1). Creation itself testifies to God’s work, to both the design and aesthetics in his creation. A great example is flowers. If God had desired, he could have created every flower the same, making each one the same shape, size, color, fragrance, and with the same function. Instead he created with incredible variety and added aesthetic beauty to each one, beauty that Jesus praised when he said, “Not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (Matt. 6:29). Look at the forest and mountains the next time you visit. Are they just functional lumps of rock and organic matter? They are beautiful creations, aesthetically pleasing, as much as a human face or the evening sunset.

Evaluation is integral to creativity

We often overlook the significance of God evaluating his creation. Six times in Genesis 1 God says what he’s done is good. Finally, he says it’s “very good.” Was he evaluating the quality, appropriateness, function, or aesthetics? Probably all of those. However, it implies that evaluating creative work is a natural thing. God’s declaration of “very good” signals completeness and satisfaction with his creative efforts.

Evaluation is not just a summative act, it is part of the entire creative process. From the first thought of What am I going to make? the creator begins evaluating. Will it be the right size, shape, color, texture? And the scrutiny continues throughout the process—do I add more of this spice? Should I take the photo in this light? What will happen if I write the computer code like this? Can I use this word in this context? Reassessment continues hundreds, perhaps thousands of times during the creative process.

Evaluation gives things value, both to the creator and to others. Without it there is no joy, disappointment, discussion, disagreement, praise, and certainly no satisfaction. In other words, there is no point. Art is meant to be viewed; music is meant to be heard; books and poetry are meant to be read; a house is to be lived in; the pie is to be eaten; the handmade dress to be worn. The creator creates and the consumer appreciates the work.

Beauty and truth

Is art for the Christian exclusively about expressing beauty? Would we say that every piece of significant art is beautiful? Every thought-provoking play? Every enlightening piece of literature? Obviously that’s not the case, so what about those great works makes them so significant?

Great art is not only about beauty but also about truth. To focus solely on beauty and exclude truth would be akin to focusing only on God’s creative activity and ignoring the fall. Art that appears grotesque can still express truth, as some truths are repulsive or shocking in nature. As Christians we might want to turn away from things that are ugly or even controversial, but we are often called to face them. Art can show the emotional truth behind a factual truth. Consider the stories in Scripture that describe an ugly event but point to a truth we need to ponder. Scripture doesn’t shy away from the grotesque.

Creativity is the gospel

In today’s church, artistic creativity is often viewed as a pathway to an end, that is, using artistic pieces or activities to draw people toward Christians and conversations about spiritual matters. We must not lose sight of the fact that artistic creativity is valuable as it stands. It’s more than just a vehicle for sharing the gospel; it has much more value than a pragmatic intermediary. Instead we should think of artistic creativity as integral to the gospel, reflecting the glory and variety in God’s creation. It expresses the truths of the fall and redemption in a non-lingual way. Church members wondering about the value of their creative talents need to be affirmed in their giftedness. God-given creativity is worship. By being creative we are doing what God has intended us to do. How would that idea enrich both personal and community life in your church? JH

1. Harold M. Best, Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2003), 23.