The Conversation Continues
There are a couple streams of discussion about creativity and faith weaving their way through the blogosphere that you should take the time to read. Joshua Blankenship, a talented designer, opened up a can of worms that has quite a few diverse opinions on the matter. Benjamin carried on the conversation with good results here. And our good friend, Lon, is gearing up for some thoughtful discussion. If you’re joining in, you should read up on L’Engle’s Walking on Water. Among the great many books on the subject of faith and art, I think it stands out.
Are Joy and Conflict Exclusive?
Of particular interest to me is a comment in the Blankeship discussion that asked the question. If we are supposed to be a people of faith and joy, do we still have a responsibility to write about the raw and broken? Or is our responsibility to write about that joy and the coming good we pursue and hope for?
I tend to think that we have to speak about the struggle to reach hope and joy just as much as we speak about hope and joy as a core part of our audience should be people still wondering if those concepts really exist? How about you?
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Tuesday April.17.2007 at 10:19 am PDT
Pingback from trying to listen · Faith Brokeness and Art Part 2
Wednesday March.28.2007 at 3:01 pm PDT
Lon
i think they can occur exclusively, but often don’t. if the conflict was part of the journey, i think we owe it to ourselves to share that with people.
i use to think heaven would be a bit bland without struggle and hardship… then i realized how twisted that was of me… i do believe there’s a place for pure and blissful joy!
Wednesday March.28.2007 at 3:55 pm PDT
parke
Well, we have statements that there are no tears in heaven and we have representations of large groups praising God on a throne, but I think it’s fair to say we don’t know very much about the future. I think there will be lasting peace and joy one day, but I do wonder if there isn’t a part of work and healthy struggle to create in that. That could encompass pure joy, but I’d be slow to attach bliss or a consistent emotional high to it.
I’m still bumping ideas around of course. There are many beautiful pieces of classic art that capture a moment in time of joy or bliss. Perhaps part of the conversation needs to take into account our era’s distaste for clean beauty.
Wednesday March.28.2007 at 4:14 pm PDT
parke
There’s an interesting related quote found on a blog that by Chris Dunn (?) who goes by the name emissary around these parts. Let me summarize it a bit.
He essentially says that evil is found in art to help define what is good. When we forget the presence of evil in media has the purpose of defining goodness, we can begin a never ending cycle of seeking increasingly more and more evil (in media and in life) for the sake of the rush or excitement.
(source) (vox blog)
I’m still pondering how much I agree with that purpose for evil in art, but I have seen the never ending cycle of seeking more evil.
Tuesday April.3.2007 at 9:52 pm PDT
ragamuffindisciple
I think opening up about our struggles shows that we are real. The bible talks about the trials and tribulations that we will go through as followers of Christ so to cover them up would be to continue the show that Christians have been putting on for sometime that everything is peachy keen in Christianityland. But more importantly it hinders our ability to connect with lost people that are struggling because they think we cannot understand what they are going through and we serve a God who is the same.
Great conversation. Keep it coming.
Saturday April.7.2007 at 9:02 am PDT
Dawn
Hope means little unless we know why we need that hope.
It’s one thing to show just despair or just hope in one piece of art, but if we look at an artist’s (particularly a Christian) overall work, both themes should be evident. To focus solely on one side or the other are equal errors.
Saturday April.7.2007 at 10:37 am PDT
parke
Thanks for sharing on this topic, Dawn. You, perhaps more than most of us, have tried to live this I think. Not everyone here knows, but Dawn is a somewhat accomplished (accomplishing?) artist, as you can see at her site by clicking on her name.
Our friend the Disciple shares some important insights as well. People rarely trust a person who seems flawless at first. (Politicians anyone?)
Saturday April.7.2007 at 10:41 am PDT
Dawn
Parke, thanks for the plug!
“People rarely trust a person who seems flawless at first.” Very true. How could they? No one is flawless, so we may as well admit it up front (not that I’m great at practicing this, mind you–but I try).