The beauty of art.

There is value in enjoying beauty for beauty’s sake.  We are surrounded by things we consider to be beautiful everyday.  It may be in the natural world (did you see this morning’s sunrise?).  It may be in the tender look between a mother and her baby.  It may be in the artwork of a great master, those gallery pieces we can stare at for hours.  It may also be in the disorganized, wild colour combinations of an eight-year-old.  

Most of the time, we consign the idea of “beauty” to what is perceived visually like paintings or sunrises.  Perhaps the next most obvious source of beauty is in the auditory - what we hear.  If you can survive past the squeaks and squawks of a budding musician, you will perceive beauty.  Of course, the performance of a symphonic orchestra will also trigger the “Wow, that was beautiful” response.

A lesser appreciated source of beauty is found in the written word.  The “roses are red” kind of poetry may amuse for a moment but seldom is there real beauty in it.  No one doubts that Shakespeare wrote some amazing stuff, but it is so bound by the culture and language of a different time, it can be almost impossible for the average person to appreciate it.

Most of the ancient documents, collectively know as “The Bible” fall into that same category.   Even for those who are familiar with its contents, the writings of the Bible can fail to delight.  Who really wants to read page after page of “this person begat that person who begat that person and that person died but their son begat that other person who begat another person and they died and were buried with their forefathers, but not before they begat that person who begat another person who . . .”  You get the idea.  It doesn’t resonate with what we would commonly consider to be beautiful.  Boring, yes.  Beautiful?  No.

Granted, there are sections that grasp our imaginations.  The stories of the Old Testament are full of intrigue and plotting, of “David and Goliath” type stores (actually, that IS a real story in the Bible), of romance, of conquest, of success and failure.  There are the stories of Jesus performing miracles, of great summary statements of His teaching (“Love your neighbour as yourself”).  Even the letters written at the end of the New Testament have their golden goblets of encouragement, “Casting all your cares on Him for He cares for you.”  Who can resist trying to decode the mysteries contained in the book of Revelation?

Seldom, though, is the Bible viewed as beautiful literary art.  Because of our distance in time and culture, we struggle to see that beauty and often settle for cheap imitations of inspirational platitudes.

Consider this:  that the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth is presented to us as our heavenly Father, that His son is a shepherd who cares for the Creator’s sheep.  Jesus often used images to describe His care for us:  water that satisfies, light that guides and illuminates, life that is eternal, and He is also a lamb that would be willingly sacrificed so we can be reconciled back to the Father.

Apart from the multitude of beautiful images used (and some graphic ones when addressing the problem of our rebellion against God), there is the beauty of the form and structure used stylistically by the original authors.  Not only do their images communicate meaning, so also how they put their words together.  

Did you know that Psalm 119, the longest psalm, is a poem based on the Hebrew alphabet?  Or that Genesis 22 is a story built around repeating themes of “God will provide?”  Or that Solomon loved to play with numbers and words to teach wisdom?  

In our rush to “be right” in our interpretations of the Bible, we can sadly reduce the beauty of the book to nothing more than dry facts, cumbersome rules, and outdated regulations - with the odd nugget of teaching or encouragement in between.

Nothing can be further from the truth if we commit to understanding these ancient literary documents as works of beautiful art.  On this Monday morning, may I encourage you to engage with the Bible beyond just a spiritual espresso to get through the day?  Ask yourself this question:  “Why was it important for someone to craft this text?” There is always a reason.  That one question will begin to sensitize us to see the beauty of the text.   You will be surprised at how beautiful it can be!