Why art? As we place
one foot before the other treading this earth, our hearts declare within us that
there is More. As a culture, we tend to
respond by trying to obtain more. We
move faster to do more to earn more to spend more to gain more. But the More to which our hearts call us
cannot be obtained. It simply is. And if the veil of blue sky and clouds which
separates us from Heaven were to be torn, we would see the More, though only
for an instant before we were blinded by its brilliance... by His brilliance,
for the More is His Glory.
And so in our humanity we created ones marvel at the
intricacy of the veil, Knowing in our souls the More that lies beyond this reflection. From where I sit I can admire the golden sunlight
of an autumn afternoon and listen intently to a symphony as the gentle
breathing of my tiny companion plays counterpoint to the birds' chirped melodies. My eyes linger on the blue of the sky, which
is so impossible to reproduce. My
thoughts wander to the human minds which created the shelters in which we
dwell, strong enough to keep us safe and warm through the storms. And like breath fills my lungs, glory fills
my heart, and in my very limited way, I imitate my creator by putting pen to
page, or by lifting voice in song, or by touching fingers to keys. Redeemed, created one meets Holy, Uncreated
One and we fellowship, and the brilliance of His glory warms me rather than
blinds me. The artist in the thin place.
In the moments of creation and imagination, the More is
evident and the veil between Heaven and earth is no thicker than the flesh that
separates my hand from touching my own heart as it pumps life blood through my
body. The Life Source is untouchable,
but oh so near! Imagination and the act of
creation remind us of this fact. In the
writing, the music, the movement, the sculpting, the painting, we realize the
More, the Glory by which and for which we were created. We then find ourselves driven to places of
communal enjoyment, worship services, coffee shops, living rooms, dinner
tables, concert halls, art galleries, and why?
Because in sharing art we tear down walls, open ourselves to vulnerability, and give each other wings to fly, eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to grasp
the More, the Eternal. We artists, co-creators
or sub-creators with God, guide each
other to the thin places. That is why
art. It is the map, the guide, the
bridge, the key to the More - the transformative Glory of God whose image we
cannot grasp, and yet in which we are made.
Inspired by discussion questions in Luci Shaw's Breath for the Bones - Art, Imagination, and Spirit: Reflections on Creativity and Faith
