(Photos: Gillary Torres)

Whispers of Creation: When God Speaks Through Art – Part II

And when, in addition to talking to the artist, God also speaks through what is created?

PART 1

Corrie’s drawings, Deborah’s movements and Maytte’s sculptures. Throughout the creation process, these artistic expressions are channels that connect each of these artists to the voice of God. But when the work is finished, the artist then becomes the channel and the final product the tool through which God communicates with other people.

In some cases, as in Deborah’s dance, there is no need for a final product for communication to take place. “Quite a few people have said to me that when I start moving they just really sense more freedom released in the place where we are worshipping or they might just sense God saying something”, says the artist.

And as any tool or talent, being an instrument of God to connect other individuals to His voice also requires improvement and intentionality. That’s why Corrie, who used to only draw landscapes, decided to focus on improving her ability to draw human features.

“I’m not good at it and it’s something I want to grow in, because I feel that drawing people can convey emotions and stories a lot better than just landscapes. And I want my art to become deeper and more communicative”, Corrie explains.

But would God be able to speak only through Christian artists? Deborah believes not. According to her, He can communicate even through artists who do not have a personal relationship with Him, because it is all about creativity. “Now, of course there is an element of whether the message that’s coming through is true or whether it gets distorted because of what the artist believes about reality”, she points out.

And it is to reality that God draws the attention of artists, as stated by the visual artist Sandro Cruz when mentioning situations like the one that the world faces today with Covid-19 and social isolation. For him, the difference is that, generally, artists today reflect only the problem itself and not the solution to it.

“They reflect the world and how they perceive it. And that’s good, because they express everything that is painful and difficult for society. But it is also important that Christian artists can go beyond the problem, making a way for Jesus and the cross”, concludes Sandro.

This is how, for Deborah, God wants to bring His Kingdom into the world through art. “More of His Kingdom here on Earth means more truth, more beauty and more love. And all of these things can come flowing from Him through artists as a channel”.

Written by Esaú Moraes.