The Lord saved me while I was in art school in 2007.
I was approaching the end of my time in college and God just did it, right there- new heart and new affections, repentance and faith. No turning back. He set me on a path to serve Him in this world, to be a tool in His hands for whatever seemed most pleasing to Him, my new Master. It was there in college that the intersection of quality discipleship, ministry experience, sound bible exposition, and a heart for the nations was developed in the context of my local church and parachurch involvement.
I was so close to graduating that I just figured I’d stay the course to get my illustration degree even though my heart was growing for ministry.
However, there was this lamentable thing about art school- no one wanted to talk about the meaning of things. Let me explain.
In my time at a secular university, many of my classes were filled with the worldview, postmodernism. In this worldview, definitions are tossed aside, structure is left out, and meaning is rejected. Objectivity might as well be called bigotry. One of my teachers posed the question to us all in class one day, “What is art?” After several people gave their opinions, he simply said, “you are all correct… art is whatever you want it to be.”
This proved to be an inconvenience as a newly born again art major, who had just been awakened to the spiritually true realities of the Kingdom of Heaven and couldn’t contain myself. Piece after piece, I’d try to interject biblical truth into. Every two weeks in our classes, we’d critique each other’s art work. Sadly though, all the class critiques came down to nothing regarding meaning of one’s artwork but only regarding the execution of the art itself (which, ironically enough, is judged based on objective universal standards of beauty and design!).
What does this story have to do with missions?
A Problem – We are orthodox in convictions, yet postmodern in our cultural observations
What I mean is that the most theologically sound missionary may not take the time to consider the meanings of what he or she observes in the culture they cross into. They may be great exegetes of the bible but they exegete the culture like postmodern college students. The things of culture on the mission field get likened to art that’s on display in a museum (to look at and walk by) rather than a window into a person’s worldview.
Tribal masks, carvings, festivals, the associations of colors, moans of the recent funeral, the funny dances the village elders are doing, the way the drum is hit, and the dressed up Virgin Mary all make for pleasurable news letter pictures! However, I appreciate the insight given by Ethnomusicologist Ian Collinge who said, “Most disaster stories about short-term [and long-term] missions arise from inadequate preparation and self-centered attitudes of spiritual tourism.”
As Christians, as missionaries, we of all people are to be those who most love discovering truth. The Lord gave us shovels for brains to dig into the worldview of locals to understand the reasons why people do what they do. This will give insight to us for learning why they worship, which will shape the way in which we share the gospel. Various art forms can actually be your servant in understanding the heart of the people.
A Goal – Ethnodoxology
Though the term Ethnodoxology is a recent buzz word in the mission world, it’s roots can be traced back to the Bible.
The term is made up of three Greek words. Ethne (peoples), Doxa (glory/worship), Logos (the study of). According to the Global Ethnodoxology Network, Ethnodoxology is “the interdisciplinary study of how Christians in every culture engage with God and the world through their own artistic expressions.”
Worship is a special activity reserved for Jesus Christ. However, it was hijacked. The special activity of reverence, adoration, commitment, devotion and love has shifted from the Creator to His creation. And the tools of worship (ex. time, money, paintings, songs, vocations, etc.) have then been used as payments made out to all things under God rather than God, Himself.
But, God fixed that and continues to fix that. God paid a greater price when He sent Jesus as a purchase to buy back people’s hearts to love, enjoy, and worship Him (the way it was meant to be).
And so, in places like Revelation 7:9-10, John sees a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language no longer giving homage payments to the creation, but all crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” The nations here are singing of their salvation from the Lamb. No longer will their hearts sing of disgusting things of this world, but of their newfound gift they’ve received from God- eternal life.
This is the heart of Ethnodoxology. It is the missionary’s role to take the Lamb’s message to unreached people groups and it is their delight to one day hear those people’s new-creation hearts singing this praise in their own heart language and heart songs!
John Piper beckons the church today to aim towards this in missions when he says, “missions exists because worship doesn’t!” Missions isn’t the end goal of missions; worship is. It may not be wise to impose your language upon the nations and require them to sing your favorite worship songs. So we ask, what are arts forms that already exist in their culture that will kindle their hearts into the throne room of heaven in the same way your favorite hymn does?
So, prospective missionary, next time you hear music that sounds more like dying cats, don’t be alarmed. Seek the heart of what they are doing. Next time you hear off-time drum beats, see what that rhythm communicates in that culture. Next time you see the color white at a funeral instead of black, be careful not to jump to offensive conclusions. Maybe these are specific expressions God could use for His own praise one day.
