On the Artist and the Prophet:

I've been reading the book Jesus For President of late.
I found this excerpt, and thought of something a friend said recently- that they believe all artists to have gifts of the prophetic.

(It's important we define prophecy as "God speaking revelations through man", as opposed to man seeing the future-a big difference)

So I read this, and realised just how close to the modern conception of 'the artist' the prophets are. From the poetry of their prophecy, to what would be considered, today, as Avant-garde Performance Art:

"While we are taught history mostly through the lives of kings and presidents, God tells history through the lives of the prophets. The prophets can make and unmake kings. Sometimes they have enormous popular support, and sometimes they are voices in the wilderness. But they are the voice of God whether or not the people listen. They speak regardless. And they speak recklessly. They have a profound sensitivity to evil as well as to good. God's fire and love rage though the lips of the prophets. Rabbi Abraham Heschel puts it like this:
"To us a single act of injustice--cheating in business, exploitation of the poor--is slight; to the prophets, a disaster. To us injustice is injurious to the welfare of the people; to the prophets it is a deathblow to existence; to us, an episode to them, a catastrophe, a threat to the world".³After all, a lot is at stake, and sometimes it takes just one voice to interrupt the pattern of injustice.
The prophets are weird. They set themselves apart from the normalcy of civilization and its pattern of destruction and war. Their vocation is to interrupt the status quo. They are set apart as a sign for all of Israel that they too are to be unlike the nations. The biblical prophets were always doing wild things--stunts, pranks, and miracles that exposed and unveiled truth. Moses turned a staff into a snake. Elijah hit a rock and fire came out if it, and he brought down fire on an alter. Jeremiah wore a yoke to symbolize imperial captivity. (He was eventually arrested.) John the Baptist ate locusts and made clothes out of camel skin. They stripped naked, ate scrolls, wore sackcloth, and lay on the ground outside of the city gates. Ezekiel bulled off a protest in the nude and staged a prophetic stunt that involved cooking with poop (and not to win money on a reality show). Yes, the prophets are weird. It can embarrass us to read of their antics, but what they do is not nearly as embarrassing as the things we do, which their actions expose so we can see that another future is possible. 

³ Abraham Herschel, The Prophets, 5th ed. (Peabody, MA: Prince Press. 2003). 4."

Shane Claiborne & Chris Haw, Jesus For President, (Zondervan, Grand Rapids. 2008). 40-41. 

 I could unpack and examine the comparison between Prophet and Artist... but I trust in your intelligence.

Godspeed,
Derick.

4am thought...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
~1 Corinthians 13:4-6

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."
~1 John 4:16

Capiche?

Godspeed,

~d.smith.

The Glory of the Crucifixion

The glory of the crucifixion is that it does not shine, nor glow, nor radiate any of what we now associate with the word 'Holy'. The crucifixion is a person of God becoming sin. It is the moment a lighthouse is darkened on a storming night- its flame extinguished, void of light.

There is nothing joyous about the crucifixion of Christ.

It is a tragedy.

          One in which the protagonist falls not for his own fatal flaw, but because of those about him. There is no beauty in the betrayal, beatings, bruises, or bloodshed. Such a fate is a horror for any man, woman, or child to bear. How much more for the Father's Son?

There is no beauty in the crucifixion.

And yet we rejoice, we dance, we sing, we clap and we find peace and comfort in such a brutal event.

          Wherefore sweet Christian? Why celebrate the death of your beloved Prince?

Perhaps the act is not where the glory resides?

Perhaps the image of the Crucifixion is not why we rejoice?

Perhaps it is not so much the death of the Son- but the Son Himself?

          And not the Son as He is physically:

                                                                    flesh torn and pierced, hanging naked and shamed.

 No.

Perhaps it is His heart where we find joy?

His willingness to bless us undeserving sinners in becoming our sacrifice.

The beauty,

                     and the glory

                                            of the crucifixion lies not in His physical appearance- but His spirit; not in His act- but that which lies behind the act...

The sincere, earnest, and devoted love of a god, our God, who is willing to tear Himself in two for the sake and fortune of those who deserve it least.

A New Year and stuff...

So with the new year comes the tradition of resolutions. I generally stay away from such things as to avoid disappointment. Plus, if anything: I need to gain weight, work more, stay drinking in moderation, and I've never had a smoking problem.

However, last year ended a bit of a fizzer: spiritually, professionally, and dare I admit relationally (yes, this includes romance).

Thus, I have decided to break from my habit of boycotting resolutions, and have four new goals. Three of which relate to the previous sentence.

1) Grow closer to God.
This is first and foremost on the list, and not a token Christian thing, either. Last year, to the shame of my admittance, I experienced- too many times- what it is to hold onto the threads of ones convictions. Or rather, God catching me by my tattered threads. I could write an entire article on this; so I'll stop now. All I will say is  I know this first resolution links explicitly to my second:

2) Charge, full speed ahead into the industry!

So last year didn't end a complete fizzer. With two productions in the planning, and still being part of a theatre troupe I am blessed for the opportunities the Lord lavished upon me. But it's time for me to bring something to the table.

a) Get some God-honoring productions on my roster. Ones that don't speak the gospel, but Shout it with no apologies.
b)Get an agent.
c) Put sufficient effort into productions.
d) Push fellow creatives to stop paying lip service, and actually get on board.

Which leads me to my third resolution:

3) Keep in touch with friends; make new ones.
This includes socially, and professionally. I need to get out there and socialise. Who knows, perhaps I'll meet her? I'll at least make some industry contacts. Perhaps get a break?
also, it turns out I'm a horrible friend: in that I've a habit of not calling. Or Messaging. Or Facebooking. Or meeting up for coffee. This will change.

Last, but certainly not least:

4) Post more!
I've actually a series lined up I'm wanting to write. Stay tuned.

And with this un-charactaristcly long post, I shall leave you all. But not for long.

Yours truly,
wishing you godspeed this new year and beyond,
~d.w.smith