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Jesus and Da Vinci

For those of you that don't have the bandwidth for McDowell's podcast, here's a website with lots of great text analyses of the Da Vinci Code.

posted by @ 3:26 PM 0 comments

So Dark the Con of Man

The Da Vinci Code is set to be released in theaters everywhere this coming Friday. I just wanted to put in my two cents and send out a useful resource for talking about the movie with others.

There's been some talk in Christian circles of boycotting this movie because of its attack on the divinity of Christ. Personally, I think a boycott would be completely ineffective and will most likely backfire. Such public resistance usually gains media coverage, which in the end equals free advertising and more ticket buyers. Also, I think any movie that gets people talking and thinking about the truth surrounding the identity of Christ is worth seeing, if only to use as a starting point for a good conversation with unbelievers who see it.

I'm excited about the apologetic challenge this is going to pose to many Christians. Michael Brown (the author of the book, which I also suggest you read) is no dummy. He really did his homework and creates a very convincing argument. This story gives unbelievers a lot of ammunition to argue against Christ's divinity, and I personally think many Christians won't be prepared to put up a defense and have ammunition with which to fire back. (Please don't take this metaphor too far. Conduct apologetic conversations in love and never out of anger or frustration.) This could force us to "study to show ourselves approved."

I encourage you, whether or not you read the book or see the movie, study up on the claims it makes and prepare your response. When your coworker, classmate or friend says, "Have you seen the Da Vinci Code?" be ready to take the opportunity to reveal the true identity of Jesus.

The resource I'm currently using to prepare myself for such conversations is the podcast from Josh McDowell. I invite you to do the same.

posted by @ 10:53 AM 0 comments

I wish...

So many times I have an idea, and I would really really like to see it become a reality. But it never fails that I have to scale back the bigness of the idea due to a lack of resources: Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough personnel...

What is it that you always wish you had more of to help your ideas get off the ground?

(Please answer in the comments section. If you're not familiar with how to comment - just click where it says the # of comments just below this text and to the right. Talk to me!)

posted by @ 11:35 AM 2 comments

Filtration

Do you ever stop and think about how much information your mind takes in? It's overwhelming. At any one moment, there are hundreds, thousands, even millions of bits of information bombarding your senses. Take a moment right now and observe the vast number of objects within your field of vision. Notice the myriad sounds vibrating your ear drum. Think about all the different smells you experience throughout one day... Our senses could overwhelm our mind with information.

But, we have a built-in filtration system. Our brain is constantly at work helping us to focus on a few vital pieces of information at a time, while all the other information gets discarded into some mysterious mental trash-heap.

It's fun to think about this while driving. It helps demonstrate the principal that what you focus on will come to you. For instance, if you are going through a passing fascination with a particular type of car, let's say a Nissan Exterra, suddenly you see that car everwhere. "What a coincidence," you tell yourself, "that, after I read about them, there are suddenly so many Nissan Exterra's on the road." The truth is, the same number of Exterra's are passing you as before, but now your mind doesn't filter them out as unimportant. A brain cell has written itself a post-it note to keep an eye out for a Nissan Exterra, and to not let it go to the trash heap without further observance.

I'm butchering the science of how this works, but there is a principal to be noted here for creative types. What would happen if we started paying attention to our filtration system a little bit better? What valuable images and inspirations could we discover that before would have simply been ignored and discarded? That guy with the blue hat who just got on the bus just might be the inspiration for a main character in a novel. The train that's holding up traffic could inspire the rhythm of your next musical composition. Perhaps the arrangement of crows on your front lawn could be the subject of the next stanza in the poem you've been stuck on. The possibilities of what you could discover are endless.

Let's take this a step further. Often, the creative personality is criticized for being overly sensitive. You've heard it before: "You're too intense." "Lighten up a little bit." "You take everything so seriously." "You need thicker skin." While that might be good advice for artists at times, it's usually a load of hooey. We are artists. If we're not the sensitive ones, who will be? It is our place and calling in this world to experience things on a deeper level than the average individual. Movies should make us cry. Paintings should make us gasp. A beautiful fountain should make us laugh out loud with delight. We take these extraordinary experiences and turn them into works of art to enrich the lives of others.

So while the rest of the world shields itself from tragedy, beauty, inspiration and the like, we ought to be soaking it up like insatiable sponges.

posted by @ 2:49 PM 1 comments

welcome to vite

This is a place for artists who are Christians to connect with one another to share thoughts, inspirations, resources & experiences. Vite is run in connection with Victory Faith Fellowship in Spokane.

Check back often to see if any new thoughts have been posted, and feel free to use the comment button to respond. If you are a member of Vite and wish to share some of your insights or experiences, please email me your thoughts & I can post them for you.

Also, you'll notice the categorized links to the right. I would like your help in building a good compendium of useful websites for artists. If there are sites you have found useful, please leave its URL and a description in a comment on this post. Please note that many of the sites listed are not Christian-oriented & I do not scan them for content. Although I would not list any links I find overtly offensive or inappropriate in nature, please browse at your own discretion.

posted by @ 10:44 AM 2 comments