Tribes of Creators
If our God is the Creator God…
our homes should be harbors of creation and re-creation.
If they aren’t – or when they aren’t – this should be a flashing signal there is a different god “in our midst”. And that signal should lead us to a course of action.
God created us to be stewards and redeemers with Him in His world: creating the ‘new’ and ‘good’ alongside Him. Healing what is broken.
This fundamental aspect of being God’s People – this characteristic of being creators and redeemers – can be a ‘litmus test’ for us as we assess what comes into our homes.
When we get serious about cultivating a culture of God’s Kingdom in our homes we will undermine those efforts if, at the same time, we simultaneously allow flirtation with cultures of “uncreating”.
Cultures of uncreating are cultures of destruction: confusion, fragmentation, chaos… These are opposed to a culture of 'new creation'. They keep us from living wide-eyed to the hope of new creation all around us. And living wide-eyed with God is the first step in creating wholesome goodness, and redeeming what is beautiful.
Sarah and I try to notice when these invasive cultures creep into our home. We watch for them in the attitudes and behavior of our family – even our own. We watch for them in entertainment making its way into our home, in our children’s relationships – even in the way our children play together.
Categorizing these generally under a culture of “destruction” it becomes easier for us to identify them as a storyline begging our family to join in and participate.
Are our children displaying destructive attitudes? How about destructive behavior – even slamming doors, ruining furniture, or being careless with what God has blessed us with? Is their choice of entertainment celebrating the destruction of property, life, or quality of life? Does their innocent play together celebrate destroying?
We aren’t legalistically purging any storyline which includes destruction. Destruction has a role to play in re-creation, ecosystems, and lifecycles. And overcoming destructive forces is an important part of any good storyline for play.
Instead, we are asking: Do their activities celebrate it? Do they glorify destruction? Is destruction showing up as something powerful and gratifying? Does it invite our children to be a part of it, rather than be on the side of redemption?
When we notice these cultures taking root we take the opportunity to point out: our family is a sacred tribe among God’s People. And God’s People are known by creating and redeeming the world… not destroying it. Then we take steps to get rid of the bad culture by offering generative alternatives: creating, redeeming, stewardship:
Hand-crafted hobbies or building projects, helping around the house, artwork, learning to play an instrument, gardening, building blocks, puzzles, fixing things indoors or out, creating a recipe, cleaning, caring for animals, exploring outdoors, building forts or sandcastles… We encourage them to invite friends over to do these things with them. And we will invest money to make any of these things possible or more fun. It is worth it.
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable
– if it has moral excellence and is praiseworthy –
these are the things you should dwell on.
– Philippians 4:8 [paraphrased]
I will not set anything worthless before my eyes.
– Psalm 101:3a