The website GodBricks is a repository for Lego MOCs with religious themes. Some of the builds are pretty amazing and some are pretty simple. But, what I find most fascinating on the site is the theological musings regarding God and Lego.
The Milan Cathedral by Joe Perez
In the essay “WWJB (What Would Jesus Build)?” the author tries to answer the question: “What sorts of Lego God would would want us to build.” He touches upon whether God would approve of Star Wars and Harry Potter Lego sets, considering their emphasis on “the Force” and “witchcraft”, both of which are considered “evil” in many online Christian Lego forums, apparently.
The destruction of the pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14) by Patric Gnepf
Some people responded with thoughts of “LEGO is just a toy - it doesn’t matter - God doesn’t care - why would someone even raise the question?” I thought a little differently... In thinking about what a Christian should, or should not, do with LEGO, I start with the assumption that LEGO is (or at least can be) a form of art. It seems obvious that some art can be done to the glory of God - think of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or the great Gothic cathedrals, or Handel’s Messiah. These are all explicitly pointing to God. I think we can go beyond specifically religious subject matter, though.
So, going down the “artistic” path, the author argues that if Lego builds are viewed as an art form, then the “artist” may feel inspired by the Holy Spirit to create a work that “lifts the human condition.” However, he contends that Lego builds fall into a “neutral category, whether it be a spaceship, a castle, or a train.”
...I really wouldn’t worry from a negative standpoint about what you’re building being offensive to God. Perhaps we should put more thought, though, in the other direction. “All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” (1 Cor 10, again) If the central fact of our existence is our love for God, how is that reflected in our hobby? By this I don’t just mean we should be building little crosses out of LEGO or illustrations of Bible stories, but are we following the leading of the Spirit in what we do? Is there a way that my most recent MOC can somehow add beauty to creation or lift up our eyes to something higher? It is, I suppose, a twist on the WWJD idea - what would Jesus build? It’s probably a good challenge to us all.
Grace flows down (Matthew 27:45) by Legomania
I just find all this fascinating. I grew up in an extremely hardcore orthodox sect (I’m talking communal living; segregation between men and women; 4 hour Sunday services; knee-length skirts; insane year-round fasting, etc. etc.) and I guess, I never really thought twice about whether Lego was evil, or if my builds had any impact upon my eternal salvation. But, I’ve long since accepted that if there is a heaven or hell, I’m most likely damned...all that reality TV and those lustful thoughts about David Duchovny...and Gillian Anderson, but I digress...
Ulm Minster, the tallest church in the world by Vera Feldmann and Anastasia Trautwein