from sacred to secular

posted on December 12, 2008 by greg in writing | tagged arts & theology, history, painting, secular & sacred

So recently I’ve been reading up on early Christian painting and in light of my last post, thought there was some overlap.

Fish and Eucharist Loaves

The art made while Christianity was a persecuted religion had some very different aspects from that of later works that were made in times of peace. The subjects and the way the subjects are represented are different in times of persecution and acceptance.

The earliest paintings of the Christian church that we have are more symbolic in nature, focusing on symbolic representations of the Jonah story or the elements of the Eucharist.

The Good Shepherd

After Christians were more acceptable in the public sphere, some had to combine their heavenly desires with earthly demands. Also, when persecution waned, the style even became a bit more graceful or tranquil. The painting of the Good Shepherd shows an attention to detail, but produced with seemingly less effort than other paintings of the same subject.

There also creeped in more traditionally non-sacred subjects, like landscape scenes and wine making, but still with the goal of the work to be evangelical in nature, telling the story of the gospel.

Even though early Christian art was always heavily influenced by their contemporary society, that influence shows itself even more as Christianity was less and less persecuted. One writer claims that “Christian painting might well be described as Roman painting baptized.”

Wine Harvesting Mosaic

There are some really interesting things going on in my head, specifically how to interact with the world. How does this teach about being in the world and not of it? How does this teach of serious cultural engagement? How does this teach on how much of the culture we should appropriate for our lives?

Even though the early church was just as sinful as us, I think we can find a few answers. It seems that, from the beginning, Christians were making or doing some kind of art- and not attempting to completely remove themselves from their context. There was some kind of give and take going on. Even though they weren’t perfect, there definitely seems to be a healthy wrestling going on, just from a quick overview. This is a line I believe all Christians will have to ride, accepting certain parts of culture, rejecting others. Not secluding ourselves, not giving in completely. This is a hard thing to do, it requires some critical thinking. It is very easy to be an end on a spectrum (The world is always bad or the world is always good) than it is to come up with a deep interaction between what’s worth keeping and what’s worth chucking.

So when we are searching for how to be in the world and not of the world, we should recognize that even the earliest Christians have been dealing with this problem. But the important thing is that they were dealing with this problem. They wrestled, and we should, too.

from secular to sacred

posted on December 9, 2008 by greg in writing | tagged secular & sacred

inside the Cathedral-Basilica at St. Augustine

This past weekend, Christina and I had a weekend off (which was awesome) and went to St. Augustine. We walked around the downtown area often, and there were always street musicians to be heard while meandering through the sometimes-quaint-sometimes-touristy shops.

When we were going into the St. Augustine Cathedral-Basilica, there was one of these street performers. He was playing the harmonica with one hand, hitting a tambourine hanging from his belt loop with the other hand, and using one of his feet to play some sleigh-bell looking things. It was interesting.

Another window in the Cathedral

So we go from this sight and sound, enter through heavy wooden doors to a whole new sight and sound inside the cathedral. The lights are lower, the sound outside is muffled. The music, being played low, is Gregorian chant, music created specifically for the church and its liturgy.

There is definitely something different in this space, as compared to the hustle and bustle of the outside street corner.

Between the outside and inside there seemed to be a disturbing clash. The two did not match up. I kept picturing the harmonica guy inside the church- what would that look like?

Ever since Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the line between sacred and secular does not get darker or more pronounced, but the secular is now banished. Jesus is making all things new.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, l in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created o through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Col. 1:15-20

Crucifix in St. Augustine's Cathedral

The reality is not that the harmonica guy was not sacred enough, it is that we don’t recognize him as some kind of sacred, part of the “all things” that Colossians speaks of. How do we see Christ redeeming him? In all his human earthiness, between the wrong notes and spastic tambourine slaps, we see ourselves. Christ invites him into his house, gives him freedom to play his music and even sings along.

I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise. Heb 2:12

Christ comes alongside him (and us), and is not afraid to say, “You are mine.”

Living in our faith: moleskine theology

posted on October 16, 2008 by greg in writing | tagged art, sanctification, secular & sacred

My moleskine notebook is a great metaphor for our lives. Its pages exist together in complete bounded harmony, though the pages inside might be varied. It has grocery lists next to biblical exposition, driving directions next to songs in progress. This juxtaposition is a helpful and healthy look at spiritual maturity.

Songs

When we become more mature in the faith, the faith should become more a part of us- so much so, where if one were to remove the faith from me, I would, in a sense, not be Greg Willson, but something else. The Word should penetrate our lives to such a deep level that it is a fundamental part of who we are, and us of it.

List

Drawing Around

When this happens, I believe we will not see such a stark divide between all things “spiritual” and “not spiritual” but, in may areas, we will see more things as “spiritual.” Christianity isn’t just praying and reading, but “living-in.”

Living-in is a comfortable, real and almost tangible authenticity. There is a depth of maturity that exists where we assume (in all its positive connotations) its genuine truth. This is not a leap of faith, in fact it’s the very opposite. It seems to come from living and experiencing God’s grace day in and day out over a long period of time. Understanding that we make mistakes and God is still a loving Father. Understanding that we can have comfort in the tumult of life.

Living-in means that we don’t switch to Christian-mode when speaking on some subjects and some other mode when speaking on others. When we make out grocery lists or try and write a worship song, we are living in our identity as believers united to Christ. We seek to be a part of the consistent worldview of all parts of life that God’s voice has to offer.

Notes and Lists

Now this illustration could also be seen as syncretism, embracing secular non-Christian ideas alongside Christian ideas, but doesn’t have to be that way. Sure, we could see the moleskine metaphor as one that gives an OK to contradictions, and all that depends on what makes it on to the page. All of this requires being self-aware, allowing the Spirit to lead us to truth. But we don’t have to be contradictions- we can live side by side, comfortable in our own faith, and also not assuming our faith (in all its negative connotations).

Message Prep

The assumption I’m referring to is not us becoming more worldly, but the Word becoming more of us. I’m not advocating us to think less, but think more. We all assume we are part of an earthly family, we don’t doubt its existence and effects on us, all the more, if we are believers, we should assume we are part of the Trinitarian Family and embrace its existence and effects on us.

I’m not in any way saying that I’m at a place like this, but am seeking God to bring me there. It’s a funny thing, this thing called of sanctification. Just when I feel like I have hold of it, it slips away. I guess that’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”