Page 42 - Empowering Missional Artists - Jim Mills.pdf

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served God on the stage of life with all the strength that he had. There is no question that his

works will be exhibited in heaven and that He has received the greatest praise of all. That is, the

praise of God for work well done.

George Santayana said this once about art: “Nothing is so poor and melancholy as art that

is more interested in itself and not in its subject.” (Bolander 1987, 21) Servanthood among artists

is one of the most important leadership formation traits, for when an artist allows God to work

servant character in his or her life, the contrast will be like day and night. Society’s artists, for the

most part in our world, live for the applause. Countless interviews and biographies of renowned

artists confirm this. Most concede that they are horribly insecure and are looking for love and

affirmation. They live to get, rather than give. I do not wish to insinuate that artists who are

Christians do not need applause or affirmation. In truth, we all need that, but the difference is

that we do not live for that. This young painter did not live his short life for that reason. Rather,

servants like him look forward to that final day when “each man’s praise will come to him from

God.” (I Corinthians 4:5d) As servants who truly know God, we would be insane to exchange

the awesome praise of God for the mere adulation of men.

In Europe, there is a steady stream of artists under the radar, like this young man.

Briefly, I would like to introduce a hand full of these postmodern subversive-servant-artists who

are lighting up the corridors of culture for Christ.

GOD’S POSTMODERN SUBVERSIVES

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.” (Stanley 1999, 177)

This profound quote by Albert Schweitzer is so very true. If we wish to see change, we

must model it and I am extremely honoured to introduce a hand full of artist-leaders who are

emerging in Euro-cultures. These servants prefer to be known simply as artists, rather than using

the term, Christian artists, and though, they do not necessarily write soli deo gloria on their

works as Johan Sebastian Bach did, still they live out the same commitment to excellence as this