This week’s post is about another fantastic podcast by Imagination Redeemed. I listened to this episode a couple weeks ago and knew I had to discuss it on my blog. I have noticed how many works of art created by Christians in the modern day seem to avoid acknowledging the big issues that the Church (and the larger world) is facing. This podcast articulated thoughts I have often had about art created by Christians. They argued that avoiding difficult subjects can make it even harder for people to deal with bad things in their lives. This is why we need to focus on creating artwork that allows for both the good and bad aspects of the world to be portrayed within it. This shows that the Christian faith and worldview is strong enough to withstand the difficulties that we face in life.
Main points of the podcast
How can we create art that is honest about the world while still allowing the good aspects of life to shine through? How can we avoid sentimentality while still expressing joy in our artwork? The speaker argues that we must be honest about real struggles people face. We cannot ignore the fact that the world is broken, but we also must show that there is hope to be found in the world. God will eventually restore the world, but what about our lives in the world before Jesus returns? I feel we should focus on making the world a better place in this life. Even in the Bible, both the good and bad aspects of the world are portrayed. Characters like King David and Jeremiah both express deep sorrow and anguish, while still finding ways to express hope and trust in God.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend listening to the entire podcast, as well as all the other podcasts from Imagination Redeemed. I did not have time to unpack this episode as fully as I would have liked, but I hope you will take the time to listen to the podcast.
