The Dangers of Christian Creativity

One of the most important things any creative need to know is where the boundaries are. In some cases smashing the boundaries is okay, but in many cases it is not and in the case of Christian creatives, there are areas that must remain unchanged.

If I had to define the ultimate responsibility of every Christian creative (and this can be done in a multitude of ways) it would be:

To take the UNCHANGING message of the Gospel to an EVER-CHANGING world.

I believe this is our ultimate calling but occasionally I hear stories that make me think we are getting it backwards.

This past week, a former prominent Christian leader, at one point one of the most creative/innovative in our world, went on national TV and claimed the Bible to be irrelevant. I was heartbroken. The wrong boundary had been crossed and my fear is it will lead many astray, God forbid (and yes sometimes He does still forbid.)

The parameters are simple. The world constantly changes. The Scripture does not. Does that make it irrelevant. NO! It makes it stable. It makes is solid. It makes it dependable. It’s the Word of God. He’s a God who does not change with the whims of culture. In this shifting sand world, God is rock solid, which is exactly what we need Him to be.

To be honest, the Word of God has been counter culture since Genesis 3 and that trend will continue until all of Revelation 22 has been fulfilled. It’s the story of humanity from beginning to end (and then a glorious new beginning), written by the one who knows what is going to happen from beginning to end. It’s a gift from God to show us how to navigate this life. It generously points out the disasters that happen when we turn our backs on God and ultimately points us to the One who can get us back home, Jesus Christ. This means it is perpetually relevant.

The fact that it runs against the grain of culture is not surprising, culture is fallen. The Old Testament shows us the level of brokenness and finds it’s fulfillment in the New Testament and in Christ. Scripture is given for the purpose (among others) is changing the world and herein lies the key. We are not supposed to change Scripture, Scripture is supposed to CHANGE US! To find Scripture irrelevant is to choose to turn your back on it in favor of the broken system we all live in.

The danger of Christian creativity is to get creative with the wrong things. The things that are not sacred are changeable. They should be changed and this is where out creativity can thrive and flourish. But the Word of God is as unchangeable as the one who wrote it. Our broken nature will try to tell us otherwise. We need to fight that impulse and creatively proclaim the truth that sets men free.

Anything less keeps us in bondage.