Artist and author Scott Erickson visited the John Brown University campus on Jan. 25 during spiritual emphasis week to speak in chapel and launch his new book “Say Yes.” Popular among young Christians on social media, JBU students were captivated by his performance and wisdom.
A little about Scott Erickson
Hailing from Portland, Ore., Scott Erickson is an artist, author, father of three, and performance speaker. His work has appeared on National Geographic, CNN, and several magazines. After speaking in the chapel on Tuesday 25, he launched his new book “Say Yes.” This is not his first book. Other books that he has written include: “Honest Advent,” “May It Be So” and “Prayer: Forty Days of Practice.” His second chapel speech at JBU is Thursday 26.
Talkback
On Tuesday evening, Erickson hosted a Talkback for JBU students to participate. The talkback comprised three major questions: What is your workflow like? Can you tell us about your testimony? Finally, how would you approach reconciling the church? Here are some of his answers:
What is your workflow like?
Erickson said that his work is not as linear as one would expect. Because he has a three-year-old he has to segment his workday into smaller chunks in order to work around the needs of his children.
His typical day looks like this: he wakes up around six and walks out to his art shed to work for an hour. He comes back to prep his kids for school, then takes them to school. After coming home, returns to his work. After a quick lunch and plugging his youngest into an iPad, he returns to his work. He noted that some days his creative juices are just done by four. Some days, he does not get much done, so he stays up later working. Regardless, he is incredibly thankful to have a position that allows him to work at his own pace.
Can you tell us about your testimony?
In response to this question, Erickson said he had a typical Christian upbringing, “I committed my life to Christ as a young boy, then recommitted my life at every summer camp after.” As he grew up, he found he likes the idea of finding God in the world around him more and more. In the latter part of his life, he found himself becoming ordained as a spiritual director. His goal is to speak into people’s relationship with the divine and help them grow.
How would you go about reconciling the church?
He started his response to this question by saying that it is important to recognize he is a white man in Christian America. The Church, when it comes to church issues, is more than happy to give him a voice especially when compared to more marginalized groups.
Erickson said that so much of what characterized the church in the past was authorities saying an individual cannot trust oneself. The individual had to rely on the spiritual leader of the day for truth. He thinks that the current role of a minister should be helping people to look inwardly at their relationship with The Divine and to seek truth in that manor.
After discussing these questions, Erickson read a passage from his new book and signed copies for students. His second chapel speech at JBU is scheduled for Jan. 27
Photo courtesy of Mathew Campbell and JBU University Marketing Communications