Mustard Seeds and Nests
Image by Faith Belt
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32
This brief parable is the basis for the Hearts and Hands community model. Read it again, but this time, consider the birds.
I have long believed that Christian organizations should have their brand flavors rooted in scripture. In our case, we look to this parable for our North Star. We also take inspiration from the fact that it’s a parable. It’s a story, a metaphor where Jesus is attempting to tell us what Heaven is like. In Mark 4, we get a tiny glimpse into Jesus’ aim to communicate the grandeur of heaven through parables. Jesus chose to use art to communicate. So do we.
Hearts and Hands is a community of Creative Christians. It started very small, like a Mustard seed, you might say. It is still in the growing phase, but you can see the potential for it to blossom into a massive thing. So big that artists from all disciplines might find a home in its branches.
Some of the birds have been there for a while already. That’s great. Others have joined along the way. Some will land, look around for a bit, and then move on. We are glad they could rest with us.
Community is partially about parallel play. It’s about doing art next to each other, drawing inspiration together, and encouraging one another. Community is also about safety. It’s a place where your ideas are safe, your faith is safe, your wacky art ideas are safe. It’s a place where your incredible depth of thought is safe.
Hearts and Hands is not an exclusive club of people who have earned the label of “artist.” Instead, it is for all types of birds who have been imbued with an urge to reflect the light of God. That urge may manifest as drawing, or painting. Maybe it comes out in song or dance or poetry or cuisine or story or something … harder to define.
Hearts and Hands is not driven by events and conferences, but rather small grassroots gatherings. Yes, occasionally we do produce events and conferences, but the core of our community is in small group Bible study groups exploring the intersection of art and faith. And it’s in show and tell sessions that look like open-mic nights. And it’s in quiet studio work, which is the vocation of the artist.
Hearts and Hands believes in attempting to build a dispersed community of Creative Christians, which means that it doesn’t matter where you are. We will leverage the technology available to us to help connect.
You can see the potential for this tree.
Hearts and Hands is rooted in the idea that our God is a Maker. The Maker. The Maker of heaven and earth. In the Bible, he introduces himself as a maker. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As the masterpiece of that creative, we (humans) have been imbued with a soul which is designed to reflect our Maker. This soul seeks beauty, joy, and love, therefore we feed it (our soul) by making art.
Hearts and Hands is a place for you to explore, meet other artists, and rest. It’s a place where your Christian faith can be curious, creative, and compassionate. We hope that you find a place on one of our branches. Welcome.