I'm very passionate about art. More so how our christian culture approaches art. I'd agree that our american christian culture is way too afraid of it. There is too much focusing on being "in the world not of the world" which a good thing but they are taking it as an excuse to be afraid of the world. "... But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
One of my biggest pet peeves is censoring art. You will get me in a big tizzy if you bring up the life drawing class on this campus. Not much makes me more angry then the fact that the school cumulates the idea that the human body is shameful. I can't tell you why this makes me more angry then most things but it does and I'll tell you why.
I see it as cowardly. Too afraid and lazy to direct artists or those interested in art onto the path of how to approach art maturely and with our eyes pointing towards heaven. The human body is a work of art, made directly by God. Viewing it as dirty is an insult to God, and maybe you'd say I'm being mellow dramatic but I think this is just one area in which we are letting fear rule over art.
It's a great irony that our fear of not pleasing God cuts him off from relating to us.
I love what the article was saying about symbols. It's true that our world is almost nothing but symbols and language. The fact he equated that as the two ways God reveals himself to the world was perfect. Our culture has lost it's view of beauty. Either they are too busy looking inward, or too afraid to look at all. Either way, we are losing communication with God, a way to deepen our relationship and wisdom.
I've always had a passion for character and story. Using people and stories as an avenue to reveal what's true. I love songs that are unafraid of revealing human nature. The song "Keep Yourself Warm" by Frightened Rabbit is a hauntingly sad song about the longing for love. The thing that all humans have. We all desire to fill this hole in our souls and we need something more then "fucking someone you don't know"
One of my biggest pet peeves is censoring art. You will get me in a big tizzy if you bring up the life drawing class on this campus. Not much makes me more angry then the fact that the school cumulates the idea that the human body is shameful. I can't tell you why this makes me more angry then most things but it does and I'll tell you why.
I see it as cowardly. Too afraid and lazy to direct artists or those interested in art onto the path of how to approach art maturely and with our eyes pointing towards heaven. The human body is a work of art, made directly by God. Viewing it as dirty is an insult to God, and maybe you'd say I'm being mellow dramatic but I think this is just one area in which we are letting fear rule over art.
It's a great irony that our fear of not pleasing God cuts him off from relating to us.
I love what the article was saying about symbols. It's true that our world is almost nothing but symbols and language. The fact he equated that as the two ways God reveals himself to the world was perfect. Our culture has lost it's view of beauty. Either they are too busy looking inward, or too afraid to look at all. Either way, we are losing communication with God, a way to deepen our relationship and wisdom.
I've always had a passion for character and story. Using people and stories as an avenue to reveal what's true. I love songs that are unafraid of revealing human nature. The song "Keep Yourself Warm" by Frightened Rabbit is a hauntingly sad song about the longing for love. The thing that all humans have. We all desire to fill this hole in our souls and we need something more then "fucking someone you don't know"
I see God so clearly in that song, yet I couldn't share that with most of the christian culture because they can't overcome their fear of language and curse words to see how is it being used, and why. True people curse too much without real reason, I'm guilty of this, but too often do I see someone missing something beautiful because they are too afraid of breaking the rules they built for themselves that make them "good christians." That was the attitude of pharisees, and they were blind to the beauty of what Jesus was doing, and the people he lived life with. They were blind to the beauty of stories. It makes me sad when I see my culture doing the same thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment