The summer blockbusters have come and gone. We have seen into the minds of creative directors; some of what we saw we liked, some of it we didn’t. Some of us thought we could have done better were we given the chance to direct imaginative ideas, while others of us never even stepped foot in a theater thinking films too expensive, uninteresting, or both.

Summer film fan or not, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Ron Howard’s directorial release of The DaVinci Code. Not to worry; I am not getting ready to offer a rebuttal to the storyline. I am thinking of something else: A call to think. With another summer of theatrical creativity coming to a close, I am thinking about the effects of creativity and the Christian’s responsibilities with creativity. I am thinking of the many Christian sermons, books, and other productions that were pieced together simply to respond to the hypothesis in The Code. I remember seeing the news late one night in June, one of the stories featuring the opposition to the contents of this movie. In one clip, they showed a group of Christians standing outside of a movie theater holding up banners with negative messages about the movie. One girl was interviewed and asked why she was opposed to the movie. She replied, My pastor told us all that the movie was not Christian, that it is wrong, and that we shouldn’t see it. I thought it a little unsettling that this teenage girl was against a movie simply because her pastor had said it was anti-Christian. I thought members of the church were trained to be priests and know truths through their experiences with other Christians and through their own personal walk with God. Actually, her pastor was probably only doing what he had learned to do—telling others that a book or a movie is wrong because of the popular opinions of the day among the Mega-Christians that we all hear about on television, the radio, or in the bestseller sections of our local Christian bookstore.

I think the Christian life is more than an eternal rebuttal. I also think it is more than an act of providing a regurgitated alternative thought to a creative idea from someone else’s secular mind. While many a non-Christian is working on another blockbuster or imaginative piece of literature, many Christians are still writing commentaries on the works of the former. As I am making my way through the third book of the Pentateuch, Leviticus, one challenge continues to reach my heart: Be holy, as God is holy. God is teaching His people how to live, what to do, what not to do, and through the tapestry telling them that He chose to be their God, and them His people. They are to be His people, not an alternative to those around them. They are the first born of God, those from whom more of God’s creative love and grace will exude. The world is to be inspired, intrigued, and interrupted by them.

As Christians, we are from this seed, the newly born recipients of this call to procreate through creativity, love, and prayer. The love and prayer variables are discussed and taught often enough today, while a great deal of other time is wasted not talking about creativity. I long for a day when more church discussions, sermons, and books focus on the creativity of God in them, instead of an attack on the creativity in the world. There has been an emergence of this, with more Christian writers being vulnerable, Christian community leaders choosing to go out and work with the community as opposed to spending all their time trying to grow into the next mega-church, and more Christians artists writing and directing films which focus on spirituality rather than dogma. One of my favorite movies of late was a film called The Exorcism of Emily Rose, however, I didn’t see much support from the Christian community on that one. Maybe this was because it was graphic, challenged the mind to think, and didn’t directly present the plan to salvation. I will say, though, that movie had a deep effect on me, much in the same way The Passion of the Christ did. I am not advocating a complete ignorance against the education of Christians and the effects that the secular world can have on the body of Christ; however, I am advocating an offensive outlook, as opposed to a defensive posture, on the God-given creativity that is available to each and every one of us that can have eternal ramifications on the world in which we live.

Creativity is not only the responsibility of the artists. All followers of Jesus are to go and illuminate Jesus through their own giftings. Our illuminations should in turn cause the world to think and re-visit their inner condition and their thoughts about life and God. Just this morning I was reading about Oswald Chambers and his literal obedience to Jesus’ words, Give to him who asks. Chambers had the reputation for giving to anyone who asked him for something, right down to his very last possession. This led me to think, what if every Christian gave everything that they owned away tomorrow? Imagine if all investments, stocks, and monies that could be had were acquired and gifted to someone else. Imagine the ramifications of such foolish art! America would be shaken in a way it had never been, and the world would certainly be forced to see something different about Christians. Maybe they would think we are foolish, maybe that we are obedient to our Savior, or maybe that we are not afraid of having nothing and simply trusting God. I am not suggesting this revolution happen tomorrow, but I’m merely musing about creativity and how Christians can be leading through this means instead of whining about how terrible their world is now.

In August, as the summer blockbusters fade away, I hope that the challenge to think emerges in all of us. We are leaders, and leaders don’t always do what is popular or trendy. They lead people into the wild, places people might not go on their own. Don’t be afraid to ask the question that hasn’t been asked, to befriend the one you were told you weren’t to befriend, to write the book you thought no one would read. You are made in the image of God—you are to be creative, and in your creations others will find Him who created us all.

Sean K. Mitchell is a fundraising consultant and a creative writer. He is also the author of The Financial Pilgrimage, a book that helps Christians embrace a fresh approach to financial decisions and Christian living. For more information on the book or to contact Sean, visit www.seankmitchell.com.