One of my favorite songs by my favorite Christian musician, Rich Mullins.

I've gone so far from my home
I've seen the world and I have known
So many secrets
I wish now I did not know
'Cause they have crept into my heart
They have left it cold and dark
And bleeding,
Bleeding and falling apart

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young
Growing young

I've seen silver turn to dross
Seen the very best there ever was
And I'll tell you, it ain't worth what it costs
And I remember my father's house
What I wouldn't give right now
Just to see him and hear him tell me that he loves me so much

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms

And when I thought that I was all alone
It was your voice I heard calling me back home
And I wonder now Lord
What it was that made me wait so long
And what kept You waiting for me all that time
Was Your love stronger than my foolish pride
Will You take me back now, take me back and let me be Your child

'Cause I've been broken now, I've been saved
I've learned to cry, and I've learned how to pray
And I'm learning, I'm learning even I can be changed

And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more, we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young
Growing young
Growing young

Francis Schaeffer and the Love of Culture

A year ago, I read several books by Francis Schaeffer, primarily his classic How Should We Then Live? Like many artistically minded readers before me, I found myself not only touched by his love of culture, but inspired to respond to culture.

Schaeffer provided hope for Christian artists when there was little hope to be found. What was a Christian artist to do in the 60's and 70's? Art was incomprehensible to anyone not trained in the current trends, and many Christians believed that visual art was past saving, at least in the professional realm. The same seemed to hold true for movies and music. If a young Christian was intent on being an artist (or author or musician) and retaining the goodwill of his fellow Christians, he had to make specifically religious art, usually of a rather predictable and cliched variety. An artist had to be either part of the mostly irrelevant church subculture or abandon the church tradition that he had been brought up in.

Schaeffer offered hope to these young artists (as well as successive generations of artists). He taught people how to analyze and understand culture, and how to love what was really good, without consuming what was harmful. He taught the artists to be discerning. He used art history to inspire artists to make art that was truly progressive, rather than merely innovative. Schaeffer called for good art that engaged culture, instead of ignoring it; he called for art that might be criticized, but could not be ignored.

He believed, and helped others to believe, that Christian art should be of the highest quality, and not merely well-intentioned.

Thank God for men with vision, like Francis Schaeffer. God grant us the grace to live up to his vision.