To Witness
“Witness.” When this topic was first introduced as our theme for the year, I was not entirely sure where our team was going with it. However, as I thought about what “witness” could mean in the context of The Wineskin while I was lying in bed around 2 am, Matthew 5:16 popped into my mind.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
As creators, whatever that could mean to us, and as Christians, we are witnesses to the miracles that do not just happen in our own lives but in the lives of the people in our society. Pastors display the light shown to them by preaching the word and teaching a congregation about the majesty of God; whereas, as artists, we create to give a platform for the light we are shown as children of God. Through the gift of language, color theory, and storytelling, there is a unique opportunity to reach an entire community of people that perhaps would not have understood how great our God is.
This post is not to say that all artwork or story must be explicitly about a miracle that God rained down onto his loyal subjects. Although, it does mean that we have a calling, as witnesses, to the truth and goodness of God, to allow his name and love to shine through our creations. Putting the same love that is given to us into the careful choice of an adjective for the protagonist in our creative writing, or amending a brushstroke to change the highlight on a still life painting: these are ways that we label ourselves witnesses of grace and truer beauty than may be identifiable. I am someone that believes that all art is beautiful, and as long as it means something to the artist, it has importance and deserves to be seen. However, I believe that there is a recognizable difference in the art created through faith and with a more defined purpose.
Art of all kinds that is brought to fruition with the intention of piercing the hearts of those who encounter it will always be a testimony to what the act of witnessing can do for the kingdom of God.
Belen Yager — Social Media
