Evangelism And The Arts Part 1
- Aleeca King (Guest Writer)
- Nov 17, 2015
- 3 min read
The classic movie, ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’, has a memorable scene where a very nervous young lady is asked to sing a song as part of an outreach service to a gang of hooligans. She reluctantly begins, while being interrupted by cat calls and whistles. That movie came out in 1970, but when it comes to using the arts in evangelism, it is still often restricted to someone singing a song on a loud speaker as a way to draw attention. It’s 2015, and there are so many options for entertainment that a song is not nearly as effective as it used to be.
So how can the arts be used effectively as an evangelistic tool? When it comes to evangelism, two broad categories of opportunities come to mind:
Evangelism to people that are unfamiliar with or resistant to the gospel.
Evangelism to a captive audience, for example, children in a Christian household.
When doors are closed
I remember when I was a teenager in Jamaica, and the Logos Ship came to our ports. The Logos Ships are sometimes called book ships. Their pull is the thousands of titles they have on board for purchase at reduced prices. But the Logos Ship is evangelical in nature and they usually have many programmes on board for the public to enjoy. The one I enjoyed (and remember) the most was the one where they did multinational singing and dancing and a few skits. At the end, they used the opportunity to explain the gospel. And they do this in over 150 countries, in places where people would not normally hear the gospel. In this simple, yet profound way, the arts (literature and performances) open the doors for the gospel. This is not unique to the mission field.
I attended a drama presentation at Collymore Rock Church of the Nazarene where singing, dance and drama were used with the same purpose of sharing the gospel. It was done in the evening, so persons that are usually averse to attending a Sunday morning church service may be more willing to attend. The story line was relevant to issues of public interest and the presentation itself was obviously well rehearsed and of excellent quality. And importantly, it was free of charge so personal circumstances were not a hindrance. In both instances, the audience had one aim, but the presenters made use of the opportunity to share the love of Christ.
A similar thing happens when children show up to youth meetings ‘for the food’ but have to participate in the actual meeting before partaking of the spread. Never underestimate the pull of culinary arts!
Excellent workmanship draws attention
Christians often use the arts during the Worship Service on Sunday mornings or during other Christian gatherings. When we gather together, it is not usually for the purpose of evangelism since most of us are already saved. But when a non-Christian happens to be among us, they should see our acts of worship and love for each other and want to know more about the One we are worshipping. Outside of those gatherings, a non-Christian isn’t likely to seek out Christian music, for example, as entertainment. And many Christian musicians try to ‘cross-over’ in an effort to reach the unsaved. But I found something quite different with Christian artists that have a high quality of workmanship: Non-Christians appreciated the talent and found them.
I read an article from Rapzilla.com about Shai Linne. He was ranked 4th best rapped in a study done by Finnish doctoral candidate, Eric Malmi. The article explained that Malmi took the lyrics of 94 artists and plugged 10,082 songs into an algorithm that he created to detect assonance rhymes. Shai Linne ranked above rappers like 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G. and Eminem. Shai Linne is simply rapping about what interests him, as all artists do. But he’s a Christian, he raps about Jesus. The non-Christian world notices him, not because of his ...
To Be Continued...
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About The Blogger
Aleeca King was born in Jamaica but lives in Barbados with her husband Mario. She enjoys being a full-time mom to her two sons, Judah and Ezra. Her love for Word and her desire to see others grow has led her to blog occasionally and to volunteer with IS/IVCF Barbados. She fellowships with the believers at Cliff Cottage in St. John.
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