We all know God chose to introduce Himself in the first verse of Genesis as a creator. We know the great artists, painters, writers, filmmakers and others throughout history who were inspired by their Christian faith. So today, why do we keep ripping off other creatives instead of being creative ourselves?
I’m finally fed up with all the Christian writers, producers and directors who have been ripping off the unique approach of the I Am Second campaign. If you haven’t seen it, it’s one of the most innovative media approaches for engaging the secular culture to come along in a very long time. I know the team. I’ve been to their studio. They are a truly brilliant group.
But instead of celebrating their creativity and letting that inspire us to go beyond it, too many people are just ripping them off. I’ve seen “I Am Second”-themed commercials with old people, youth groups, missionaries—all kinds of wrong situations. I’ve seen ripoffs with embarrassing camera work, lighting, editing and bad substitutes for the white chair. I have to hand it to John Humphrey and the I Am Second team—they don’t complain, and they don’t make a stink. But I can bet you they don’t like it, and neither do I.
We’re Christians. We worship the Great Creator. Of all people in the culture, we should be the most creative of all. And yet we’re not willing to pay the price. We’re not willing to put in the work. We’re lazy. We live off the currency of other people’s ideas. And trust me, it’s not impacting the culture.
The I Am Second campaign is brilliant. But we don’t need more lame copies. What we need is the next creative leap.
Who’s willing to step up?
Phil Cooke is a media consultant focused mainly on the Christian market, as well as a vocal critic of contemporary American and American-influenced Christian culture. For the original article, visit philcooke.com.
