Friday, July 30, 2010

Faith and Writing - The Creative Spirit

We are told in the Bible that GOD made us in his image.  Male and Female he created us, and then he breathed his Spirit into us.

In his image.

With His Spirit.

But what does that mean?

Well, the first thing we see of GOD in the Bible is in Genesis where he is creating the Earth, and everything in it.  GOD is a creator.  More than that, he is a loving creator, who loves each beautiful thing he brought forth.  He created the peacock because he loves beautiful things, he created the Hippopotamus because he has a sense of humour.

And he loved each thing he created.

In my writers group at the moment, we are working our way through a book called The Artist’s Way.  The book is subtitled “A Spiritual path to Higher Creativity”. 

juliecameron-artistswayI like that. 

I like the fact that the author, Julia Cameron, says that GOD is a creator, and when he calls us to be like him, he is calling us all to be creators as well.  Suppressing your creative spirit is not only suppressing what GOD gave you, but also suppressing part of his purpose for your life – to create.

I have always felt a strong connection between my writing, and my spirituality, and I think this is one of the ways GOD wants me to express not just myself, but also Him.  I remember a line from Chariots of Fire, where Eric Liddell says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

I believe God made me for a purpose, and it might not be to be a writer.  But when I write, I feel His pleasure.  Because then, I am using his creative spirit.

And I hope I can learn to love everything I create, not because it is beautiful, or humorous; but because it is my creation.

3 comments:

  1. I'm glad you know what you were created for. Right now, I'm floundering a bit and trying not to get too worked up over it.

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  2. Here's something I once wrote in a lesson series. It's not original, but I thought it was good to hear.

    GOD created you for a purpose. That purpose was to be you. That purpose was to be you where you are. That purpose was to be the sort of you that pleases him - not what you do, but who you are.

    Which is why only you can fulfil that purpose.

    I think sometimes we worry too much about being in GOD's purpose, and not enough about being in his presence. Sometimes we don't get to see the big picture, or know what our puzzle piece was, but we just have to be prepared to be that piece when the hand reaches for us.

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  3. I agree -- I feel that, too, when I write.

    I also want to read that book -- I've heard a lot about it, and I really liked the Right to Write that we read for the HCB book club.

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