| I promise not to go too far here. But I’m reading 1 Peter 13. Now this
chapter is controversial because it would seem to set women’s lib back
about … well, two thousand years. This isn’t where I’m going. This is:
No
estéis desmedidamente pendientes de realzar vuestra belleza con
peinados complicados, joyas de oro y vestidos lujosos. Pensad que la
belleza más sublime está en lo íntimo del corazón, y que a los ojos de
Dios no hay adorno más preciado que un espíritu afable y un ánimo
sereno e incorruptible. (ver 3-4)
The Unauthorized CLC Translation:
Yall
don’t be concerned with realizing your beauty through complicated
hairstyles, gold jewellery and luxurious vestments. Think that the most
sublime beauty is in the intimacy of the heart, and that in God’s eyes
there isn’t a more highly valued adornment than an affable soul and a
serene, incorruptible spirit. (verses 3-4)
I want me a freaking quiet spirit, dang it! I’ll come back to that.
When
I can get my head into this verse for what it is, and am not looking at
it through the eyes of a jaded feminist, it’s kind of everything I
talked about in my Unexpected Expose.
And what’s more, it’s the peace I’m looking for. Not to say I live a
complicated, tortuous life, but I am a definite over-thinker who would
question her gifts and callings.
I wound up at this verse indirectly through Urbana.org.
I visit the site occasionally though I’m not attending Urbana this year
because it’s nice to browse their articles and get fed a bit, if you
will. And I was checking out the track they’re offering this year to
artists, of which I count myself one. From there I hopped to the webpage of Makoto Fujimura,
a fixin-to-be renowned Christian artist trained in the Japanese Nihonga
style and utilizing abstract techniques. All that to say I was reading
his essay on “Art as Prayer.”
The Urbana and Fujimura articles were all about reconciling the call of God --or Christianity -- with art -- or being an artist.
“Why do those things need to be reconciled?” you non-artists or
questioning artists may question. Personally my beef is that art seems
inherently frivolous, expensive, wasteful. Making a picture when a
blank wall will keep out the rain. Or, an opulent cathedral when it
distracts from real faith.
This inner conflict brought to mind
the verse above about a serene spirit. The light bulb flicked on and I
realized a quiet spirit doesn’t mean that I don’t question, but that I
have arrived at resolution. The serenity of resolve and
self-understanding. Peace that means I can move on to actually do
something with my life instead of pondering the next steps or doubting
myself.
Now that I’ve brought up the conflict between art and
justice I may as well present the resolution I’m just starting to tap
into.
I’ve also said many a time that media drives me crazy,
that our modern culture is so full of destructive, misleading images we
get to thinking in lies. Art is abused in this way, but can be redeemed by just art.
Dare I say Christian art? Not necessarily, of course. But I think God
can use Christians if we understand his will for earth. We’re not
beyond redemption and neither is media… I hope!
Art is clearly
important to God, and beauty. You can see it from the Creation (a
garden) to the construction of the original tabernacle to the
precious-stone walls of the Kingdom of Heaven, made by no human hands. And
since art will be present in the Kingdom of Heaven, and “thy will be
done on earth” reason would follow that art is not unjust, not an
unsuitable occupation for Christians.
But my spirit is
not quite serene yet, even with this understanding. There is still a
lot to reconcile about our conception of an artist! Of art. Urbana this
year is offering a track for example on perfectionism. Other conflicts
would be competitiveness, the insatiable desire to be original, and to
some degree, yes, wastefulness.
One nice thing though, is that a
little peace goes a long way. And even though I will be put to the test
this coming semester as I once again take art classes, I have hope and
confidence that God can show me a bit more of his truth concerning art…
and in time my spirit will be serene! |
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