Many of us don’t have an issue imagining God as Creator. One simply has to watch a vibrant sunset, enjoy colorful flowers bursting into bloom during springtime, or stand on the beach looking out at the vast, endless ocean. You can flip to the first page of your Bible, and you’ll immediately see that creation was God’s first recorded act, rendering it the most important (in the opinions of some theologians). However, if we ourselves don’t draw, paint, write poetry, or play a musical instrument, we laughingly explain ourselves by saying, “I’m not creative!”
In Dr. Curt Thompson’s book, “The Soul of Desire,” we learn that creativity is not a quality bestowed upon some, while others just miss the creative gene. As people made in the image of our Creator God, creativity is woven into our DNA. We are wired to identify beauty in our world and help steward it. In fact, Thompson makes the case that we are a people whose deepest longing is to contribute beauty to our world through the act of creation.
Creation of beauty requires that we become vulnerable. Trauma, allowed to sit within us, untreated and festering, results in shame, the enemy of vulnerability. Being known requires that we, at any age or stage of our lives, feel seen, soothed, safe, and secure within the relationships we create. (All sin, as Thompson writes, is a misguided desire of some kind - usually a desire regarding one of these four “S” words.) Thompson advocates for being known within the settings of what he has termed “confessional communities.” These groups serve the purpose of providing a safe space in which to process through trauma, tell the stories of their lives, and co-create beauty together with like-minded individuals. In short, these types of groups allow us to “practice for heaven,” as eternity with Jesus will be a forever chance to cultivate beauty through the most perfect of relationships.
In order to practice for heaven, Thompson suggests, we must limit the use of left-brain thinking regarding our own creativity and relationships. Too much left-brain use causes us to want to diagnose, rather than admire and appreciate, the world around us. Right-brain interactions with others can help us to understand what is good, beautiful, and true about the world, and in turn, inspire us to create.
As you read “The Soul of Desire,” I challenge you to ask yourself the four questions Thompson puts forth to members of his confessional communities:
1. Where are you?
Rather than describing your physical location, map out the coordinates of your heart and mind. What is going on with your emotions, your mental health, your current attitudes and behaviors?
2. What do you want?
This question is less about material possessions than it is about the longing of your heart. What drives you? What encourages you? What do you find truly beautiful in this life? In what areas of your life do you seek improvement?
3. Can you drink from this cup?
Is a bit of suffering worth the healing and freedom that will inevitably result from the hard work you are setting forth to do?
4. Do you love me
By seeking love from God, the source and author of love, we rightly identify ourselves in the context of our Maker. By becoming vulnerable before the Creator, we prepare to embark on a journey of creativity, resulting in beauty that will outlast our time here on earth.