Put on your brake lights,
You’re in the City of Wonder.
Ain’t gonna play nice,
Watch out, you might just go under.
A central point of our ministry as the Millennial Spark is to remind you of your infinite value — a value declared by God himself. In recent articles, we’ve talked about expressing this value. Of course, the idea I’m referencing is the idea of self-expression. We are all significant in God’s eyes. And it’s through self-expression that we celebrate how God sees us. Some may say self-expression is a form of “preaching from the soul.” By the end, I hope you develop both a hunger and curiosity to find how you can express your God-given value.
Music is a popular medium of self-expression. So are painting, writing, dance, and art. In recent articles, we’ve used two great examples of Christian musicians who speak the Christ-centered message from their hearts. Many of you might remember we wrote a blog about a band called Fireflight. They are the songwriters for both songs titled Unbreakable and Who We Are. The other is Nathan John Feuerstein (in short, NF). He writes music about his childhood trauma and diagnosis of PTSD — all in how it relates to his faith in God. These are all rather grim expressions. But we can all agree that life isn’t always cheerful or perfect. There are both pain and problems in this life — and there’s nothing wrong with expressing that.
Remember: Not looking at it doesn’t make its consequences go away. And looking at it doesn’t mean you approve of it. There are secular forms of art that I hate as a Christian. At the same time, I respect a person’s effectiveness in expressing themselves. Not the message but their act of authenticity. The proposal of an idea. It’s our duty as Christians to say good is good and evil is evil (Isaiah 5:20). But that doesn’t mean we are to be blind from something already there. Let us accept it as it is. Let it be.
“You must first understand it before you can propose a change. And you can’t give an answer before being asked the question.”
The influence of writing this blog is one that’s due to my recent finding of a song called Disturbia by Rihanna. You might have been drawn to reading this blog from the header image itself. Interestingly enough, the header image is actually a snapshot to the official music video called Disturbia. Rihanna wrote this song way, way back in May 31, 2007. For those of you not aware, Rihanna has been a major influence to the Millennial generation for many years — some may say more than a decade. But in this specific song, she expresses her experience living in a celebrity life. The song hints how celebrity living has very negative effects on one’s mind. Overall, it’s about your life going a million miles an hour in every direction. You have to perform. You have to practice. You have to run a business. You have to travel. You have to be told what millions of other people think of you. You’re spending all this time in so much chaos that it clouds your way of thinking. It’s similar to a type of poison that you don’t realize you’re drinking. And your life is going so fast that you don’t have time to stop drinking.
Release me from this curse I’m in.
Trying to maintain, but I’m struggling.
Release me from this curse I’m in.
Trying to maintain, but I’m struggling.
I can say that from a personal standpoint, writing is a method by which I can express myself. It’s also a way to play out ideas in my head. As I write, I research and ponder on the question at hand. I let it simmer in my mind for days or even weeks. And the good thing about it all is my method of expression is a way to help others. Good for me and good for others. With all that said, I’m not one to explain how you can find self-expression. It’s not my area of expertise. But in saying that, I hope you find your motivation to do so. May we all find the distinct talent that God has given us. May we use it to bless others as well as ourselves. God loves you. God has said you are worth it. Let us all celebrate and express that worth.
God bless.
