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The
Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living
Chapter
18/ Creativity and Others.
Part
3 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)
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I heard someone once say,
"vultures and hummingbirds both fly"...both are looking for food, one
fills itself with death and one with new life. I didn't remember this until I
did some research; it is also a verse in Philippians. It is a brilliant visual contrast.
The size, their lot in life, the things each looks for-- they are very
different creatures.
I would like to be one seeking out
opportunities and new life. Not be a vile bottom feeder picking at deadness and
decay and making a scene. It is very difficult to keep focused and devote time
to what's important in a life filled with distractions of all kinds. Facebook
banter and negative news on TV, the unending barrage of ugly words and the new
trends of “throwing shade” and other similar things. Sometimes it is laziness
and distraction that make me the ugliest version of myself. Rushing through
conversations or forgetting people to handle a task.
I still choose the TV over friends
or sleep over prayer, even though I know they are dead ends. But it is a
substitute less and less often as I realize, with time, I need prayer and community
to function well.
Creating opportunities for others to experience
love, community and prayer are some of the most meaningful things I have done
in this life. One of those things was ArtSpace at Lifest where we created a
space for thousands to sit and create. One thing in particular was a community
art board where people could create and combine their marks.
Brainstorms lead to a sheet of 4’ x
8’ plywood being mounted to the wall. We called it “The Community Art Project”
thinking it was a good way to help those leery of contributing a complete work
of art or those who thought they could only draw stick people.
At first I was disappointed at the
sheer number of people who just wrote. They added words, verses and sayings. I
didn’t like where it was going but through it there were small additions and
then large ones; and blocks of color that started pulling it together. In the
end I must say that I have seldom been as surprised as I was with this odd but cool
piece of art. It was bright, whimsical, free-flowing and ultimately both
spontaneous and a patchwork of glimpses into the lives of passers-by. I won’t
soon forget it.
I still sometimes have the innate
sense to judge or pick before I speak life or encourage community. But as I get
older, and desire more peace, I no longer want to be right more, as much as to
show love to others. And Jesus can work with that.
I have the distinct privilege of
being a part of a community of believers that is witnessing something extraordinary.
There is an effort to be healthy and to promote the life-giving message of
Jesus—it is a simple clear message of the gospel and starting with Jesus.
People are responding. I responded, too.
Hummingbirds and a community art
board later—there is evidence that things filled with life and community are
the best things.
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We often get distracted by the
stories, the Pharisees, the death, the betrayal and forget that the heart of
what Jesus brought was healing and restoration for our minds, bodies, spirits
and souls.
