Art: Hungry Souls

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

This morning, I have been blessed with the reading of a couple of articles that were posted on Facebook about arty-things. And I am listening to a musician named Neil Finn, who a drummer friend of mine posted a YouTube song and video by.

In one of the articles, there was an interview with musician Sam Phillips who used to be one of the darlings of Christian Contemporary Music until real life took over and busted the bubble. A Christian Cheerleader like a little sister of Amy Grant. Sam Phillips mentioned how she goes to art museums for soul sustenance and has been inspired by a book by Raymond Frank Piper.

The title of the book is The Hungry Eye: An Introduction to Cosmic Art. Man, that is a heavy title. I suppose it is by implication an Introduction. Since it is Cosmic it would be impossible to conclude that into a compendium. I have been ruminating on writing a post about Art for a while. Sometimes the ideas stick around in my head and I wait until I gather enough thoughts like threads to knit some artsy mittens. Now, I am ready to get the needles clacking.

As an educator, I am well aware how the arts are often the first on budgetary chopping block. Yet, without art (music, drama, visual, music, dance, cooking, writing, etc.), it is not the art that is ultimately on the chopping block. It is the culture. For when the monetary axe swings, the tree of civilization is felled by the swings. Art is just the fruit of a culture, the highest and ultimate product of ideas and actions. Artists can too sometimes be blamed for this destruction because the art that they have made cries out for harsh judgment. It is a fine line between showing the dirt of society and not being like the pigs who slop around in it.

Here is what the STEM-heads ask (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) like pencil-necked know-it-alls:

- Can you eat a painting?

- Does music provide shelter?

- Do words heal wounds?

I answer a resounding "Yes!" Art is just soul food, an almost imperceptible filling of a vacuum in our souls for meaning, purpose, and beauty.  Jesus stated that man does not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  That is, physical appetites can be satiated and a man will still be starving in his soul. We dismiss words as if they are irrelevant. How about this, God created the Universe (one verse) by Words. Jesus is called the Word. Someone's mouth can be stuffed with bread and still be famished. God is the Cosmic culinary artist.

I recently redeemed my Discover Card's Cash Back and have created an artistic allowance. My first two purchases were Matt Wheeler and Vintage Heart's Strings and Wires (Matt is the house musician for our church Veritas in Lancaster City and really good guy) and Aletheia Schmidt's Awake My Soul: A Contemplative Art Journal.  I met her through my involvement with Veritas where we sponsored an exhibition of her art work. I was already friends with her on Facebook without first meeting her in person. As a matter of fact, that was true about Matt Wheeler also. I suppose I made exceptions for them, against my typical rule of not friending someone who I don't know in person, because their work spoke for them. As a cautionary tale, a girl who I did not know recently asked to join my Food & Culture group on Facebook and I let her in and she (he?) promptly posted links for Porn Sites. Ummm, do you mind?

Also, in the photo above--in addition to the CD and book by Matt and Aletheia respectively, is a mug from the Ivory Tower: A Christian Reflection on Arts & Culture that has now been reimagined into The Rowhouse run by my good friend Tom Becker who is doing a lot of work to promote an engagement with the larger culture with a distinctive Christian worldview winsomely.

As a final Coda, at Veritas we are moving on down to street level from the 3rd Floor of the Community Room next to the Prince Street Café to a space on King Street in Lancaster City. We had the vote yesterday and we are all in. If you are an artist and need a venue to get your work out, message me on Facebook and I will pass it along to Pastor Ryan. I might not friend you yet though.

We endeavor to provide an artistic incubator for the egg of your ideas and art. The Hen & Hatchery. Under the shade of the Wings of the location, we seek to help you discover and expand your Art.