In the last century and especially in the most recent years this powerful force has been hijacked from what it was initially intended to do and is in fact doing the exact opposite.  Art was intended to reflect the beauty and truth of its creator; instead it has become so twisted and perverted that it is destroying our society like a cancerous tumor. 

Art, in its many forms throughout the world, has been used to propagate evil agendas creating a malformed culture that celebrates death and craves obscurity. We see it in music, in dance, in painting, photography, cinema, poetry, etc. What was once intended to bring life now brings death, and our youth are insatiably absorbing every bit of this filth. 

In order for our generation to change course, we must realize that art is in urgent need of redemption. God, who is the “Master Artist” and the Creator of all things, used His imagination and ingenuity in creating the beautiful forms, textures, colors, shapes, and lines when He designed this magnificent planet we live on, and the universe all around us.  Everything has its own origin which is in God the Creator.  Everything has a purpose and functions in an order that displays the harmony of divine art.  This universe is nothing less than a glorious masterpiece of the Master Artist Himself.  As children of the Artist we are to express this beauty and truth, not out of obligation, but out of love.  Out of the love that we have for God and our neighbor.  We are to have the willingness to share the beauty and truth we have come to know with everyone else so that they can get a glimpse of our experience and share in our joy.

We are not to use our creativity to create an art that is cheap, tawdry, shallow and lacking in substance.  This is where our motives come into question.  Do we have pure motives or have our motives become defiled?  Is my art an act of love to glorify the Artist or is it an act of lust for power and fame to glorify self?  This generations' music, poetry and paintings are not those of Handel’s, Blake’s or van Gogh’s that will transcend centuries and still be worth listening to, reading and seeing years later.

Who will want to listen to the damaging and degrading music of today ten to fifty years from now? What about smearing ones excrement on a canvas and calling that art, or worse yet, destructive degenerates prostituting themselves on camera and calling that photography?  How low have we descended?  Who will take a stand and draw the line? Is there any hope?  I don’t know, but there sure is a lot of work, if we want to see a change… the work is as H.R Rookmaaker put it, " weeping, praying, and repenting" for our generations’ mistakes…the work begins now.  Please join me and millions around the world as we try to make a positive influence in our communities, in our cities and in our countries.  

Samuel Bistrian

September 15, 2007