Art as Worship

I have never considered myself artistic. I was never good at drawing or painting. Even as a child, my favorite thing about my Legos was not building new creations from my imagination, (as my younger brother so often did) but rather tearing apart things I had already built to build them again by following the instructions. That’s not to say I didn’t have moments of creativity, but for the most part I enjoyed copying things that already existed and bringing them to life.

I think maybe this is why I started to pick up photography as a hobby. I didn’t have to put paint to canvas and bring things from my imagination to life. Instead, I could show people a world that already exists, that they may have not seen before. This started off as showing friends and family pictures I had taken on safari during a college semester abroad in Tanzania. As time has gone on though, this has morphed more into a passion of showing people the world in their back yard, which they so often miss.

I can’t pinpoint when exactly it started, but somewhere in the last 2-3 years my photography has taken on a new direction. “There is so much beauty in the details.” That’s what I tell people when they ask me why I take the photos I take. This realization has not only helped me become a better photographer, but also grow closer to my Creator God through art. I am able to worship him in a whole new way.

I see things now that I never noticed before, things that show God’s incredible artistic touch. As Stefan said in his first blog, God could have created the world a purely utilitarian and monotone place. Instead, he chose to make fall leaves turn vibrant, beautiful colors. He chose to make not just one fungus, but millions, all with varying colors, shapes, and sizes. He made each human different, even identical twins having individual traits unique to him or her. God created the world and mankind with beauty because it is a reflection of Himself.

We are a reflection of God, as Genesis 1:27 tells us. Part of being made in the image of God is our ability to create. When we create, we imitate the Creator. So go out and create. Worship our incredible artistic God through your art.