The Jesus Painter

I grew up going to church three times a week and was super involved in the youth group throughout middle school and for the majority of high school. I've always been shy and reserved about my faith and often found myself having different ideas about what it meant to be religious, faithful, and spiritual. i would go to youth camps, retreats, and on mission trips. As youth ministers would say: "I was on fire for God." Although today I am not exactly where I was when I was strong in my Christianity and have taken a few different paths than I would have thought, I still look back and remember how it was....to just sing out loud, read the bible, etc. Not that I miss anything, but I do feel that when people are spiritual and religious, their attitudes, minds, and demeanor is completely different. I know a lot of people believe that religion blocks creativity and exploration, but I do think that in some ways, if done in the right environment, it can foster creativity. When I was in 7th grade we went to Texarkana on a weekend retreat. On Saturday night as everyone came together and sang we sat and watched Mike Lewis, "The Jesus Painter." I remember sitting in my pew thinking how powerful it was. I think that the majority of times the greatness in creativity stems from the powerful emotional feeling that it creates. I think that the video is a wonderful thing to watch even for some one who does not beleieve in the Christian Jesus- just mute the video if needed.