The Art of Being You

Book excerpt: "I heard a well-known Christian musician say at a concert that God was in the business of fixing broken people. I went home and thought about that for a while, and I came to a different conclusion . . ." That different conclusion, reached by singer-songwriter Bob Kilpatrick, has some interesting and exciting applications for rethinking what it means to be a Christian. Rather than casting God in the usual role as architect and great mechanic of the universe, Kilpatrick instead paints a portrait of God as an artist--passionate, visionary--who considers humankind his masterpiece. God doesn't see Christians as broken beings chugging along in a fixed-up life. He sees us as new creations, whole, complete, and a stunning part of his creative process. It's a powerful perception of God, one that determines how much we understand and enjoy God, which, in turn, affects the entire course of our lives. We'll stop perceiving God based on what we lack, what we need repaired, and how weak we are, and come to know God as a creator who sees each one of us as a work of beauty and value. If we believe our relationship with God is one of artist/masterpiece/creative process, then we have every reason to rejoice in every stage of that process. The Art of Being You offers every reason to believe that God is preparing us for an amazing heavenly display.