"His need was the perennial need of the artist, to put shape to the shapeless, coherence to the incoherent. To turn hard experience into romance was not, in any way, to belittle that experience."
William Buchan, speaking of his father, John Buchan
Anyone who works with kids can tell you that adding something new to your teaching program can be an adventure. Apparently, I thought I needed more of that in my life.
So this year, I decided to add a "Dance History" segment to our Summer dance camp for kids, and at first it seemed to be working really well.
Then came the day that I introduced my class to one of the great dancers of recent times: Rudolf Nureyev.
As on other days, I gave what I thought was a quick but eloquent review of his life and contributions to dance. Then pulling out my dance history book, showed the children a picture of Nureyev soaring through the air in one of his legendary jumps.
For a gratifying moment, all was quiet as they stared in wide-eyed wonder at the page.
Then one sweet, eight-year-old ballerina in the back spoke up,
"His name was Rudolf?"
"Redemption, which involves not only restoration but renewal, embraces every aspect of creation. God's intention is to have a world in which God's people live under his reign to his glory and this He achieves through the redemptive work of his Son. Thus God's redemptive purposes include the world of the arts and man's creative abilities."
Finally, someone has put together a powerful statement of purpose for Christians working in the world of the Arts. Written specifically for Christian artists in South Africa, this manifesto rings true for artists around the world, and especially here in the US.
It's a long read, so here are some shorter gems for you to enjoy:
Art and the Christian Worldview
"There is no room in a Christian worldview for a relegation of the arts to the secular or unspiritual category of activities.... The all embracing nature of God's creation and Christ's redemption means that just as Christians take family and church life seriously so too the aesthetic dimension of life needs to be taken seriously. "
"In the institutional church the vocation of artist has often been deprecated. Outside the church it has sometimes been exalted above all other vocations. Neither of these positions is acceptable. The vocation of art practitioner and art theoretician stand alongside the economist, the teacher, the carpenter, the pastoral minister and the theologian as a legitimate Christian vocation."
The Responsibility of the Church to the Artist
"Local churches need to not only help Christians discern the call to the pastoral ministry and the mission field but also those to the economic sector, the political arena and of course the world of the arts. The local church needs to keep the artist alert to her sphere of activity as vocation, as a battle ground and to support her in her following of Christ in this sector of his world. "
The Responsibility of the Artist to the Church
"Christ retains his deep commitment to the church in all its brokenness and the artist is to follow his example. The artist is called to responsible activity and is to work in a way that honours God and is helpful to his neighbour and especially his brothers and sisters in Christ. While the church must be sensitive to the freedom that the artist needs in order to create, in the exercise of his freedom the artist must guard against jeopardising the credibility of the church. "
