Modern Art

Daniel A. Siedell says in his book God in the Gallery has some interesting thoughts about the relationship between modern art and Christianity.

" Moreover, there is a view that art, somehow, should communicate to the average person, who often has no real interest in putting in the time and effort required to understand and appreciate the hard-won results of artistic practice."

He also goes on to say that,

"Artists make art not because they have knowledge they want to 'express' but because they want to discover or learn something through the practice of art."

"The ultimate distinction, then, is not between Christian art and autonomous modern art but between art that in its union of form and content can bring forth or testify to an embodied transcendence, revealing our 'amphibious existence,' and art that denies such transcendence. It is thus quite possible and indeed quite probable that some of what is understood as Christian art is in fact a profoundly anti-transcendent art, presupposing a world hermetically sealed off from the contemplation of the Son, a purely immanent world in which communication consists solely of messages, sent and received, not of contemplation and communion with the Divine. In the Christian artists' zeal to express a Christian meassage, Christian art--in the bitterest of ironies--can further contribute to denying Christ's presence in the world." 164

It Will Only Feel Like an Eternity

The main draw of Christianity for many people is the fact that they will be raised from the dead and spend eternity with Christ. I have often struggled with the idea of living forever. Sometimes I wish that we were given the choice to not live forever. Don't get me wrong, I don't look forward to death. But when it happens why can't I just stay dead? I have heard people talk about how no one can understand how great heaven is or how wonderful it will be. I completely agree with them, but I still would like the choice to enjoy my life with Christ and then peacefully enter into non-existence. I really don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I will still pray for a temporal existence.

Another thing that I often question is why God will raise people for the Last Judgment. Why not just let those people be dead? Why raise people, just to punish them forever? The expression, "beating a dead horse" comes to mind here.

I know that God has a better understanding of all this than me so I will leave it in his capable hands.