Friday, November 18, 2005
Artists without Borders
I belong to an elist that caters to Christians in the arts. Someone posted the following message and it really pushed my buttons, not because I was offended but because I think Christians need to think differently and take different actions.
Our local Borders no longer supports local artist. Many writers
groups in our region meet at their local Borders Books. I was
notified by our group leader that they have discontinued several
writers groups and our group might be next on the hit list. Our
local Borders Books has discontinued their local authors' section
and poetry night.
There were once beautiful paintings hanging on the walls in the
café by local painters, now the walls are bare. When a local artist
spoke to a Borders representative she was told that it was
a `corporate decision'. A petition was passed around town regarding
this matter. As local artists, we deserve respect. If it wasn't for
the local arts, Borders would not be as popular.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation at a local bookstore?
This was my response...
Borders owes us nothing and we owe borders nothing. Petitions are by and large meaningless, (and often make us sound like just another group of whiners) corporations respond to finances and profits. If they won't support you, find someone who will and support them. There may be someone in your community that needs you a whole lot more than borders, who will be better to you than borders and may have a clientelle that needs the salt and light that you can be. I get real nervous when artists (especially Christian ones) start talking about what we deserve. We deserve nothing but what we earn and even that we only receive by grace. Don't hold on to things that have passed, follow God into a new thing. The fact that the door is closing on Borders may mean God is moving you elsewhere. When we try to hold on and get what we "deserve," we may miss out on what God has for us. Jesus' death on the cross is all about us not getting what we deserve. Look for the opportunity in this.
Just my two cents.
God bless,
Dave Weiss
(0) comments
I belong to an elist that caters to Christians in the arts. Someone posted the following message and it really pushed my buttons, not because I was offended but because I think Christians need to think differently and take different actions.
Our local Borders no longer supports local artist. Many writers
groups in our region meet at their local Borders Books. I was
notified by our group leader that they have discontinued several
writers groups and our group might be next on the hit list. Our
local Borders Books has discontinued their local authors' section
and poetry night.
There were once beautiful paintings hanging on the walls in the
café by local painters, now the walls are bare. When a local artist
spoke to a Borders representative she was told that it was
a `corporate decision'. A petition was passed around town regarding
this matter. As local artists, we deserve respect. If it wasn't for
the local arts, Borders would not be as popular.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation at a local bookstore?
This was my response...
Borders owes us nothing and we owe borders nothing. Petitions are by and large meaningless, (and often make us sound like just another group of whiners) corporations respond to finances and profits. If they won't support you, find someone who will and support them. There may be someone in your community that needs you a whole lot more than borders, who will be better to you than borders and may have a clientelle that needs the salt and light that you can be. I get real nervous when artists (especially Christian ones) start talking about what we deserve. We deserve nothing but what we earn and even that we only receive by grace. Don't hold on to things that have passed, follow God into a new thing. The fact that the door is closing on Borders may mean God is moving you elsewhere. When we try to hold on and get what we "deserve," we may miss out on what God has for us. Jesus' death on the cross is all about us not getting what we deserve. Look for the opportunity in this.
Just my two cents.
God bless,
Dave Weiss
