Recently my boys, 15 and 17 years old, and I went to see the movie Monument Men. It sparked an interesting debate, which is the only form of communication acceptable to these particular teenage male siblings, regarding whether or not Art is worth someone’s life. Ideas being proposed were as follows:
Art is often symbolic of greater meaning. Much of the art that was being saved in this film was religiously themed, as well as being of great importance to the cultural identity of the people where it was located. They were attempting to preserve someone’s national treasures.
If those who were part of the unit believed that what they were preserving was worth their life, perhaps it was, at least to them.
The opposing position stated that no mere object was worth the sacrifice of a human’s life. Negating any deeper significance, these works of art may contain or inspire.
I always feel moved by the following song by Sara Groves
Why It Matters
Sit with me and tell me once again
Of the story that’s been told us
Of the power that will hold us
Of the beauty, of the beauty
Why it matters
Speak to me until I understand
Why our thinking and creating
Why our efforts of narrating
About the beauty, of the beauty
And why it matters
Surely, when we look at the natural world around us; we understand that beauty matters to our creative God. Not once – but twice, when God gave instructions for the temple he gave an amazing anointing.
Exodus 31:3-5(ESV) and repeated again in Exodus 35:31
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.
The Spirit of God was given for the express purpose of enabling the workmen to devise artistically what God was imaging perfectly.
Artistic expressions of devotion were affirmed by Jesus, when he rebuked those who criticized the woman who anointed Him as an expression of her love.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
He does not call it worthwhile, noble, acceptable, and appropriate or any other uptight word; He just calls it a “beautiful thing”. Such artistic words…
The ultimate expression of all that is beautiful comes in the description of the New Jerusalem given in Revelations 21. The writer of Hebrews 11:10 said that Abraham was looking forward to this city whose “designer and builder is God”. He knows how to do it right!
Watching the news the last few weeks from Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Thailand and the CAR, has brought the last verses of Sara Groves song to mind.
Like the statue in the park
Of this war torn town
And it’s protest of the darkness
And the chaos all around
With its beauty, how it matters
How it matters
Show me the love that never fails
The compassion and attention
Midst confusion and dissention
Like small ramparts for the soul
How it matters
Like a single cup of water
How it matters
Our world so desperately needs the beauty of the love of God! However, we express that beauty, whether by creating the statue or giving the cup of water; it matters!