Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 July 2008 06:44:44
In the beginning, before man managed to start making the wrong choices, was an awsome creative God. This awesome creative God created humans in His image and so made them creative aswell. During the whole creation thing he set some important groundrules, not through getting heavy handed but by example.
First thing He did was establish the idea you might work your butt off six days a week but on the seventh you rest and have some fun. Oh and you don't work 24/7 rather you finish at a reasonable time and go walking in the garden or whatever, catching up with your friends in the evening and enjoying what you've created. (For those unfamiliar with the bible that's a brief summary of Genesis).
This God, the God, whom we Christians worship also likes music. It was one of the reasons he made us creative. The bibles most famous musician (the Psalmist) says we are to praise him on all kinds of instruments and using all kind of styles and in all sorts of situations. God is as interested in us using music and poetry when we're p***ed with life as when we're well up for it.
When Jesus (God on earth) came he used storytelling, another creative art, to communicate with people and did it in vast public spaces. On one occassion he had an audience of 5000+ and no PA system, somehow he managed to get them all fed though. Oh and on another occassion he turned water into wine, but reckoned it wasn't a good idea to get too messy.
So creativity, the use of public space and having fun are all biblical. They are biblical concepts we seem to have forgotten.
Fast forward to our current age and the situtation the young and not so young find themselves in today.
Creativity is ok, aslong as it fits in with the dominant culture and is sanctioned. We have laws, dating back to the early 90's which have not been repealed which make listening to certain types of music, in public spaces, in large groups illegal. Now I'm not going to get into the drugs issue today, (that can wait for another time - and I'm not going to try and say they're alright because they're not), but it has to be recognised that one of the major reasons that the free party / rave scene in this country was criminalised was because not so many people were getting messy on alcohol and the brewing industry lobbied hard. Certain types of music which appeal to certain sectors of society are demonised and condemed by politicians. They don't acknowledge that in the US in the late 70's it was the sound systems and early Hip Hop movement which actually reduced gang violence by having sound clashes instead.
Public art is now celebrated in the Tate Modern and places, but the graffiti and early attempts of street artists are criminalised and walls / trains are covered in graffiti proof paint. In todays society cave paintings would be seen as vandalism. (Note at this point I do know there is a difference between graffiti and street art and I am not condeming the destruction of private property, but..... there is a place for graffiti and people do have to learn their craft somewhere).
Young people are dispersed if they hang about in too large groups in public spaces and those public spaces which can be controlled are locked in the evenings. Playing fields and parks have been concreted over and sold to developers. Health and safety laws and a culture of litergation are breeding a culture where fear not hope is prevelent and public gatherings are increasingly restricted.
So where does this leave us?
Well, here are some ideas which I know are utopian on one hand and would present a whole range of practical problems, (but I think God encourages us to bibically dream outside the box.)
Churches can be at the forefront of valuing creativity. Rather than moaning about what sort of music we do or don't like what about accepting that it's going to be a mix and that mix is going to go beyond worship group vs. organ. What about letting young people developing new styles of music show case them in the public spaces around our buildings? What about rather than covering our walls in graffiti proof paint covering them in blank canvas (or even sheets) and letting people come and tag on that, changing it when it's full and displaying the completed sheets in exhibitions of local work.
Let's face it seeing young people getting creative is wonderful. How many of us have been watching Last Choir Standing, knowing that Hereford Police Choir and Bath City Choir are in a league of their own as choirs, but have been rooting for Dreemz because well.... they're young working class kids being valued and enjoying it.
As Christians in our localities we should be looking at the plans our councils are drawing up and lobbying against the destruction of public, green spaces and for the reinstatement of free public spaces where possible.
As parents we need to get back to biblical values in terms of how we spend our time (and this is one I really struggle with). As a society we need to learn to just chill and relax, having fun with each other. It's a biblical value but one we're kak at. This can be a positive Christian value we can put forward. Now note, it doesn't have to be a Sunday set aside and everybody doesn't need the same day, but we do need to say that the 24/7 culture we now have is not biblical.
Now all of the above would mean that we would have to start putting people above profit and we might have to make adjustments in our standing of living. So like we might have to think about whether we need the "nice car", "whether we need to drive to church", "whether we need the latest pay per view package on the Sky", etc, etc. We would also need to stop being scared of young people and thinking we can tell them how to be creative. There may be large groups hanging around our buildings and what they produce may not be to our taste and it might contain some content we find worrying, because it is expressing how they feel....but hey, in my experience young people self-regulate to some extent.
So let's get back to biblical basics....creativity, using public space, chilling in small and larger groups and having fun. These are the very values many of the actions of our young people show they want / have; what we need to do is to get back to the bible and work out how, as Christians, to put these into action in our society.
(Note: This is series is a re-mix of ideas I have got reading Disconnected, Pirate's Dilemma, work by Kathy Galloway and by Geroge McKay and too many years at Greenbelt and the odd sermon I've listened to with a bit of my own stuff thrown in).