Art for Heart's Sake

"Whether one is an artist or not, I think as Christians we are all implicated in the horrendous deficiency of imagination, the visual illiteracy, the dispassionate celebrations of ‘the joy of our salvation,’ the uncaring lamentations of our sorrow for the oppressed and wounded, our lack of protest for the destruction of our ecosystem and the consumerist kitsch that is the predominant expression of faith in most of the Christian community." - Betty Spackman

This quote is a stunning portrayal of what seems to be a continuing idea that looms over the Christian world. Christians are so often accused of putting out sub-standard art (of varying types), and this accusation does not come from the 'secular' realm alone. Rather, Christians who emphasize the church's engaging in culture are quick to make this point. In addition, I wonder if culture as a whole is guilty of losing its imagination. The movie industry seems to be pumping out tons of remakes, making me wonder if there is anything new under the sun at all. If Christians are living the best life possible, and bearers of the best news possible, shouldn't we be putting out the most fresh art possible? My guess is that there is a nagging sense of separatism that continues to eat away at the Christian artistic enterprise.

What do you think?