About a month ago, my wife and I were given a wonderful painting. It has the loveliest coloring, a serene message, technical brushstrokes, and a sublime effect. We happily (and immediately) hung it in our living room, albeit after our long hold-it-in-front-of-every-blank-wall-in-the-room art ceremony. What a blessing this gift is to us and our houseguests, and what a special gift this artist has for lifting up man as created in God’s image, creating beauty himself.
  

Shortly after receiving this painting, we also had the privilege to attend a talk at my wife’s school (UNC – Chapel Hill), where Nicholas Kristof, a columnist at the New York Times, spoke about gender discrimination and how it affects the developing world. He has met sex slaves, poor schoolchildren who will never leave their small village, and warlords responsible for mass murders. With provocative statistics and tremendous humanitarian stories, Kristof called upon the students (and the spouses they sneaked into the auditorium) to give to and educate impoverished people. Please see his website and book if you are interested in reading more about this topic: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.  The stories Kristof covers are unsettling, remarkable, and foreign to life in the United States. 

This painting and this lecture have created some confusion in my heart and my wallet. 

You’ve heard that enjoying creation is pleasing to God, which I’ve taken as imperative to celebrate excellence in human creation: a nice meal or beer, great music, beautiful art. These pursuits can reveal God’s goodness, I have heard this from the pulpit and experienced it in my life.  The painting my wife and I received shows just how many shades of blue God created. Patronizing craftsmen, local farmers, and artisans allows them to continue their vocation to the glory of God through His created beauty, but all of these activities are not inexpensive. In fact, these items alone can eat up a whole budget. Likewise, the issues Kristof represents are endless and could use endless money.

So here we stand between two causes with eyes for my money, the starving artists and the starving children. Some people are lucky enough to increase their disposable income and serve both causes, but where does that leave Believers who cannot afford to support both craft industries and those in need? These things demand our resources and can stand in contention for your disposable income.