Jackson Pollock & Jesus

Today my wife purposed having a Jackson Pollock activity night for our youth group. If you're unfamiliar with Pollock he was a painter who literally threw paint at canvases; he flung and drizzled color off of brushes and broken glass until he felt satisfied. Whether or not you'll agree to call his pieces art, you will at least have to agree that the process does sound like fun. This fun process is what my wife proposed, and I'm ashamed to admit that my first inclination was to wonder where the “Spiritual Value” was in such an activity. I started thinking about how to put paint flinging into a devotion. Which is fine, it is good to communicate the gospel by all possible means; however, there is much more to life than a few prescribed ways to think about and interact with God. I want to say this very clearly: there is nothing wring with fun for fun's sake, or art for art's sake.

Not every moment of every day needs to be drenched in somber reflection or passionate worship. God is over all and through all and in all(Eph 4:6). He says to think about everything that is praiseworthy (Eph 4:8). He even promises a perfect day when there will be no more teaching about him(Heb 8:11). He has made for us a world full of clay, color, light, and also olives. We were not originally created for the purposes of going to church and reading quietly. We were created in the image of God, to be like God. It should come as no surprise that being like God includes being creative, fun, romantic, or playful. Still I forget.

Well that was my devotional thought about how not everything needs to be a devotional thought. I'm gonna go throw knives, drink tea, and read Inkheart. Go find something to enjoy.