ATLANTA (ABP) — "Did you hear the music they're playing," said a wedding attendee to his friend. "These Christians are just like we are."
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field workers Jonathan and Tina believe that the arts have the power to break down barriers, as music did at that wedding in Southeast Asia. The wedding couple, two of the few Christians in the community, invited many of their non-Christian neighbors to the celebration.
During his village’s art festival, Wayan was invited to direct a performance of dancers and musicians. CBF photo
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"So often there is no separation between ethnicity, culture and religious tradition, even in North America," Jonathan said. "As the world becomes more multi-cultural, I think we have a difficult time dividing what is cultural and what is of our faith.
"In some places in Asia, if you follow Christ, then you can no longer say you are part of the community. Christianity is seen as the religion of the foreigner, and local Christians are sometimes asked to leave."
Jonathan and Tina — whose names and specific location are not being published because of security concerns — encourage Christian artists to stay connected to their cultures, using the music, dance and visual arts of their indigenous community to express their faith. They hope these expressions will help remove the walls between communities and local churches.
"When we began looking at how the arts are used in local communities, we realized that the arts could be a part of redefining in popular understanding what it means to be a Christian," Jonathan said.
"To follow Christ doesn't mean that you leave your culture behind and accept Western culture, but that you could live out your faith in your local community wearing your traditional clothes, playing your traditional instruments, and that is valid."
Pak Wayan became a Christian five years ago. When he did, he lost his inheritance and was asked to leave his community. Wayan serves as Jonathan and Tina's gamelan instructor, teaching them and other Christian musicians how to play the 20-piece metallaphone instrument that is the foundation of music in Southeast Asia.
His group of students has quickly grown from six to 16, and earlier this year, they played a piece Wayan wrote based on Psalm 150.
Recently, Wayan was invited back to his community to participate in its annual arts festival. Even while he celebrates this step toward acceptance, he is facing a new challenge — diabetes. Through his relationship with Jonathan and Tina, Wayan was provided with a blood sugar tester, donated by a member of Winter Park Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. Now, Jonathan and Tina are helping raise funds for Wayan to have cataract surgery.
"Though still struggling with this life-changing illness, he is working diligently to change his diet and lifestyle," Tina said. "Not only has the blood sugar tester helped him physically, it has given him the opportunity to testify to the God who provides."
Jonathan and Tina provide support and encouragement to other artists as well. They also facilitate visual-art exhibitions, teach music and dance classes, work with local musicians to create compositions for worship and provide training to seminary students.
"God has placed within us such creative potential," Jonathan said. "And the arts speak in ways that make visible things that are invisible. When you read Scripture you know you see the music, the poetry, the stories. You see that Jesus walks away and leaves us to figure out the story's meaning. And artists today are doing the same thing.
"There's tremendous potential among artists to create expressions of the gospel that will continue to speak even when they have walked away."
Jonathan and Tina encourage churches and individuals to partner with Christian artists and communities around the world. They hope believers with skills in music, dance, painting, drama and other art forms will share their gifts.
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