Short: Gospelized is an ongoing art project about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Stories, essays, poems, pictures, drawings, songs and more will grace these pages daily in an honest exploration of what the gospel means to an artist.

Long: I am distressed by the lack of Christians making good art.

The best “Christian artist” of the past decade was Sufjan Stevens. He’s not played on any Christian radio stations, and a tiny minority of Christians listen to him. But he is enjoyed by thousands upon thousands of people who appreciate good art. The gospel shines through in his excellent work; it is impossible to avoid that Sufjan Stevens is a follower of Christ.

That is what “Christian artists” are called to do. We are not called to make “Christian art”; my mechanic doesn’t practice “Christian mechanics” when he fixes my car.  We make art. We need to incorporate the gospel in our art because that’s who we are, not because it’s our duty as Christians. And we must not settle for anything less than the best.

The best looks different to everyone. I have a decidedly “indie” approach to art; I work within that framework. The perfection of indie art is in its imperfection: tape hiss, half-songs, unfinished stories, rough drafts and the earnest desire to create art. It’s not a symphony, but the people who are judging the art are not judging against symphonies. They’re comparing to Skull-a-Day posts, Mountain Goats songs, photography blogs and other art projects.

I have to be the best artist I can be in my own medium, because my best art in that medium reaches those who love that medium. And if I’m being honest with who I am in my art, then the gospel shines through. So the gospel spreads. Hallelujah! Amen.