I had never heard of Malcolm Guite before I saw this video, but when I heard what he says about art and people and the Gospel and everyone living in the light of Jesus, I discovered that I love him. Malcolm says what I tried to say in my post, Everyone is Following Jesus.
Watch this video. Enjoy it. Watch it again. Then invite others to watch it also.
Oh… and as I mention in the title, don’t miss the guy puking right after Malcolm mentions contemporary Christian music. It flashes on the screen for less than a second. I wonder if that was intentional?
Of course the puking guy was intentional. Artists never do anything by mistake!
Can most popular Amero-Christian “art” best be described/symbolized by “Precious Moments” figurines ( Insert Guy puking) – emotive and shallow? Cute, but actually worthless and a dust collector that ends up in a garage sale for all eternity (or there about). I often joke “I can’t wait for Precious Moments to market the Crucifixion scene” (maybe they have…yikes!).
I would hope that most who love the cutesy “Nativity” scene figurines (and others) would see the utter nonsense and extreme poor taste such works are. Actually such “non -art” trivializes Christianity and would be more at home in a New Age art fair in my opinion with framed velvet unicorn paintings.
A popular daily devotional once quoted Os Guinness stating that we live in a time of “Hallmark Card theology”. I think bumper sticker Christianity is a bit more accurate. Get to the punchline without a proper set up. There is a Lutheran Church in this area that often posts scripture on it outside message board instead of the typical smart often rhyming got-ya sayings. I was impressed.
I love 99% of what this man is saying. God truly does love everyone without regard to theology or lack there of. We all are indeed works of art regardless of religion or where we are born. But is he saying that no matter what we believe, God, by His Grace, gives us Salvation?
I think he is referring to affected art as opposed to that which springs naturally from the heart. I will have to listen to this again.
Everything that comes from the hands and mind of a Believer in Jesus should glorify God whether it directly mentions his name or not. For the Believer there is no duality (secular life vs. Christian life). As Francis Schaefer once stated that God is the God of all life.
This is so beautiful. His latest sonnet leaves me weeping, raw.
I think I can relate being an artist and a poet myself. The challenge always is ‘how do we bring art to glorify God and share the message of salvation, love, hope and peace?’ and at the same time, not sound overly preachy and cliche that people would just puke.
Well the dude had a nice beard. I can’t grow one because it itches. I liked listening to him but my mind wandered. He had like an Irish accent. Art is important an God loves art. He is the Father of art. Each one of us is a work of art. I agree with that.
Not Irish – he speaks like some of my extended family. Definitely not Irish.
Great message overall.
Thanks for finding this character, Jeremy.
Although I agree with much of what he says, he seems to stray to Universalism which is contrary to Scripture which says in John 3 that Jesus came to save the world and those who believe will be saved and those who do not believe are condemned and will not see life but the wrath of God. Yes, there is no “checklist” to follow, per se, or a “sinner’s prayer,” but we are not all destined to be in the presence of God.