In part 1 of the call to culture, I said that the depravity of our culture, particularly our modern entertainment industry, is solely the fault of the church.

We have retreated, pulled back our involvement, and then have the audacity to complain that everything is going to hell in a hand basket.

If Christians are not creating any culture and beauty, then the world will fill the void with anything that scratches their itch. We are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the city set on a hill, the true humanity conformed to the image of the only truly human one (Christ).

So let’s act like it.

An Image Worth Repeating

When God created the earth, he set a creature down in the midst who would bear his image, establish dominion, and look after this good creation. As God is a builder, a creator of things that are good, so should man be.

Man is told to “subdue” the earth. This is the same word used later in the Old Testament when talking about how one “subdues” their enemies or subduing someone to slavery. Man is meant to make a slave out of creation, to find creative ways to make creation serve him, and in doing so he makes creation better and better.

This is all to the ultimate glory of God, of course. When man creates things, he is acting in God’s image and therefore brings attention to the supreme Creator and King.

Nearly from the start, however, man screwed all this up, and instead of making things better, he made things worse by sinning, missing the original mark intended for him.

Newly Created to Create

But now that a new creation has been inaugurated, where we are conformed to the image of Christ (the only one who did live up to man’s original vocation), we must strive to create for the purposes of building up and directing attention to God. Christians should be creators of beauty, and everyone inside and outside the church should marvel at what inspired such beauty.

If God personally gave you an ornate grand piano, and said nothing else to you, what do you think he would expect? Sure, the piano would certainly look nice and impressive just sitting in your living room, but it was obviously made to be more than a piece of furniture.

God has given us this good creation, including our own personal talents and gifts. What are we going to do with them?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17

What is your calling? How can you give our culture a hint at what new creation through Jesus looks like?

If you are a writer, write for the glory of God. Create rich stories that have the power to prick people’s hearts and make them wonder about opportunities they are missing. Isn’t that part of what good fiction does anyway? Make it so they can’t help but appreciate what you have created, even if they don’t necessarily agree with you.

Are you a painter? A photographer? What underlying story are you trying to tell with your art?

How about an architect? If God decided to create a building, what would it look like?

A musician or composer?

All of these callings demand new exploration in this new creation we are called to live in. We should be using them to celebrate the goodness of creation, to glorify the Creator of such beauty, to scrutinize why and how such a good creation can be broken in the present, and to call attention to the fact that the Creator will not leave his good creation broken forever.

All Roads Lead to God

All beauty is simply a signpost, a shadow of the full redemption, of the glorious transformed new creation to come when Jesus returns in triumph. God is in the business of true beauty. Christians should settle for no less.

We are in a constant war, and we need to use the most effect weapons to wage this war. The power of culture has been known since before the days of Augustine. While not the weapon in itself (that label belongs to love, faith, and truth), it is one of the most effective mediums of delivering the real weapons straight into people’s hearts, much like a cruise missile is simply the carrier of the warhead.

God will eventually be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28), and that includes what man, in his image, creates. Don’t you think it’s time to start playing your part in the grand story he is weaving? Let’s start by taking back our culture.

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