God Alone
“Creativity is not about me. It is not about you. It is not us somehow acting like little gods, creating on our own in the same way God creates. Although he asks us to imitate him, we are not imitators of God in this dimension. The most we can hope for is to respond appropriately and creatively to who God is and what he means. Creativity is a response.” Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand
Perhaps these words stood out to me the first time I read them years ago, but today they sparkled across my mind and into my heart like gems of dew on blades of wild grass. My spirit responded with a silent sigh of deep agreement, relief, and refreshment.
I’ve tried to read books by authors and listen to speakers who hint or claim that because we’re made by Him in His image, and we’re called to imitate Him, all human creativity is Creation as in equal to God’s.
In my weaker moments, I wanted them to be right because then everything I wrote or said would be good, as in perfect.
But I had to reject their false claims because . . .
I can’t speak asters into existence or give them a honey-like scent.
Nor can I wake up their petals and cause them to stretch out in beauty.
There’s no way I can give the Red Admiral Butterfly its design or the goldenrod its radiance.
It’s impossible for me to place the design on the bee fly’s body or its wings.
God alone can do these things in the micro-space in our wildflower gardens and the unimaginable mega-space of His Creation.
We cannot equate our attempts at creativity with the enormity of His power to Create.
But we can respond creatively to God. If Michael Card is right, and I think he is, that is one way we worship Him.
Until Next Time,
Joy
