Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Artists make me think about the Holy Spirit

More and more I've come to love artists--not just for their craft, but for their heart. Whether visual or literary, musical or pictorial, artists help me see the work of God in ways I could never get from academia. To be sure, most people already know this; I admit that I'm a slow learner.

There can be no creativity without God--the Master Creator. The evil one has created nothing. He will never create anything (and I think that drives him mad). But we, made in God's image, create. What a generous God we worship.

Why would He share such power with us? Why would the Holy Spirit inspire such beauty? Why did Jesus prefer fiction? Because He is God. He can't help it. He is beauty. He is creativity. He is the story. Creation reveals the glory of God. We are the creative work of God so that we can do the creative work of God. Receiving and giving. Being and becoming. Art and artist.

I am overwhelmed by the sheer joy of art because God is.

2 comments:

Andrew Walker said...

Dr. Reeves,

I really appreciate this comment of yours, but perhaps in a different implication. Though a mere 25 year old, within the last year and a half, I've began to explore a Christian understanding of aesthetics and ever since, have found immeasurable contentment and joy in my surroundings, knowing beauty is a gift imparted from the Creator for us to enjoy because all beauty is but a reflection of himself. I think this has immense Pauline value, when we see in 2 Cor 4:4-6 that Paul understands that having the light of the gospel unveiled allows the Christian to see into the face of true glory and beauty—Christ.

jesnicole said...

I was staring at a painting just yesterday of a little girl twirling around with her purple dress flowing gracefully as she turned, and it was so beautiful.
It made me think....WOW.....that is why art is so wonderful. Because it is someone stopping one beautiful moment in time and sharing it. It shares a story. It makes me feel like I can see, if even for a moment, the beauty in that one particular time that meant something to the painter.

Thanks for sharing this, Dr. Reeves.