I was sitting in front of my computer in a hotel room writing and listening to a random YouTube selection of music from the 60’s, when the classic Paul Simon song, The Sounds of Silence, began to play. Toward the end of the song, one line in the lyrics caught my attention,  “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls.” As soon as those words entered my ears, the Lord began to speak to me.

Some of you find your voice relegated to an out of the way place. You are like a person writing graffiti on the canvas of a subterranean subway wall or the dimly lit hallway of a dingy tenement. While some have a more visible platform, it is your words and images that have captured the hearts of the people because what you share is a real and unvarnished version of the truth. The gritty context of your message has given the content of your message the stamp of authenticity.

The gallery where God has placed your work is positioned in the challenging real-world experiences where true prophetic interaction with people takes place. You are working where profound transformation is happening with real people struggling with real issues.  We need you to remain in that gritty place continuing to speak hope.  It is the place of your high calling. 

The subway walls and tenement halls of our human experience is a beautiful place to God. It’s where He does His best work and it’s where He invites His most talented artists and writers to display their creations. Stay gritty!