Flip through streaming services on a Friday night, and chances are you might see actor Julian Leong bringing a story to the screen. But the comedic actor, who's also pursuing a master's degree in biblical studies, has dedicated some serious thought to his craft, and how he can use his experiences and passion not for his own gain, but to be God's mouthpiece and help the world to flourish. Julian shares why pursuing any craft or career needs to marry passion with purpose, how his acting career has taught him to trust and move forward in faith despite uncertain circumstances, and how paying closer attention to the beauty around us brings us closer to God. Quotes
"Art is about making sense of experience and finding purpose and meaning in that experience and being able to shape it and craft something, some piece of art—whether it be a play, whether it be a song or a sculpture that actually helps others make sense of their own experiences as well." —Julian Leong
"As soon as we talk about purpose—namely, one's life purpose, the reason someone's here in this world—then that's going to be based on your faith. It's going to be based on any number of faith assumptions about what this world is, what life is about." —Julian Leong
"I think artists are cultivators of beauty, and I think we buy into the idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think we've sort of accepted that. But as Christians, we have to question that, right?" —Julian Leong
"I don't want selfish ambition to be the thing that drives me. I do want it to be God's purpose: God's purpose for making His presence known, for making His love known to us, making His forgiveness known to us, for awakening us to the reality that we are not just a random collection of atoms, but we've been made with love, we've been made with purpose, we've been designed, we were knit in our mother's womb. We are known, we are seen. These are all things that God wants us to know, and I want to be His mouthpiece." —Julian Leong
Julian's Links
Julian Leong's Website
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Sir John Polkinghorne
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