18 Mar Beauty of creativity
We live in a world that is replete with diverse things. Who is behind all these diversities? Firstly, it is God who has created the world in that way and then man whom God has made different from other creatures. The character that stands out in man from others is his creativity.
Animals are not creative. Each species of animals has its own way of making their dwelling places and food habits but within the species we can’t see much disparity. Man is different from all the animals in the universe. He can think, mold and create. We build houses with architectural variants, have novel ideas and plans; (beyond the horizons we build our imagination) what does it mean???
Creativity is Divine
Our God is a creative God. Everywhere there are reminders of how creative God is. Think about some of the things He’s created – dragonflies, hummingbirds, trees that change colors in the autumn, like the maple, and trees like the fir that are green throughout the year; think about giraffes, elephants and jellyfish! They all are so diverse. Our God is so creative and when He created us in His image, He endowed in us His creativity. He made man in His own image, scripture says; “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). If you had any doubt that God is creative or that He passed on the creative ability in us, I’d ask you to note that the word “create” appears three times in this single verse! The word ‘created’ focuses on a self-initiated whole hearted act which points towards a specific mission. So God created man in His likeness portrays His mission in him. Creativity is for Transformation.
When a person accepts Christ, scripture says he is a new creation. In other words, God wipes away our sins with His blood which He shed on the cross and reconstructs us. This reconstruction is the creative work of God; He transforms man into His likeness when He comes to Jesus. As a transformed person we become His agents to show this way of salvation to the humankind. In Psalm 51:10 the Psalmist said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Why did God put the Tabernacle in the midst of man? Who has ordained to construct it and from where the design came? How David wrote the Psalms who has given the power of creative reflections? Why did Paul search for a way out to present the gospel in Athens? Explore how the creative power in human beings acts as transformers in the world.
Creativity is to glorify GOD
The software of creativity we have is for glorifying God. One of my friend’s asked, “What is the use of art in the Kingdom of God ? ” At that time I could not give a reasonable answer. But now, when I look back God taught me how art is inevitable in His kingdom. Starting from the creation to the new world in the Revelation we see the glorious art work of God. Here the role of man’s creativity is to work alongside with God’s. Because the reward in heaven is based on the deeds (the creative, sustainable and acceptable by God) and that is our deposit. In Exodus 31:1-6 explains how God assigned people for His creative work. After all creativity is a God given faculty in human beings and with that He expects man’s inventiveness in all his acts and through that his responsibility is
to glorify god in all his work.
Premkumar MP, The author is the Chairman, Pearl Group of Media, Cochin. Formerly, UESI Kerala staff.
Email: premuesi@gmail.com.
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