et incarnatus est

It takes a measure of presumption to write about a truly great thing. Great ideas and truths resist expression; pithy explanations provide inevitably simplistic representations of a greater reality.

I confess to presume much in speaking of the Incarnation. So great is this truth that, in the act of looking at and considering the Incarnation, one inescapably neglects part of the truth—the mind can only ponder a small part of its profundity. To speak of it presumes to comprehend the incomprehensible; to explain it is to confirm one’s ignorance. Yet this truth must be spoken of: It is the Good News. The Advent itself is the reason one can speak of the Incarnation.

Yet worse than arrogantly approaching so great a truth as this is to fail to approach it at all, to settle for the trite aphorisms and emotional stories that are but trivial expressions of lesser ideas. To fail to reflect on the Incarnation—not just during Advent but at all times—is to neglect the single most important truth man has known. To fail to mull over it, allowing it to transform your life, is to remain a lesser person. We must approach such great truths as the Incarnation humbly, hoping to glimpse a small part of the whole in an illuminating way.

The patriarch Tertullian was best known for his statement, “What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?” Tertullian was adamantly against attempting to prove propositional truths of Scripture through the logic and philosophies of Athens. In this regard, he may understand the Apostle Paul’s concerns in his letters to the Corinthians better than most. The Christian must ultimately realize, as Tertullian unwaveringly taught, that faith does not hinge on a rational consistency, but rather a fundamental absurdity: the Creator took on flesh. The single most important truth the Christian faith rests upon is entirely resistant to logic.

The Christ event is a radical reorienting of logic. To be truly great, make yourself small. As the Apostle says,

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Phillipians 2:5-11

Inasmuch as Christ is modeling the transformed mindset of living (“have this mind among yourselves”), the Christian mind is to reject the call of the world to make oneself great, but instead, make oneself nothing. The ultimate end of Christ’s earthly mission was “the glory of God the Father.” So too, the redeemed Christian in humbling himself is restored to his intended function: highlighting the glory of God the Father.

Reflect on the lowliness of Christ: Almighty God taking on flesh, taking human form in the lowliest of states, growing up thought to be a bastard child, living a life of service to others, to the point of death, even the shameful, horrific death on a cross. The propositional truth we must realize is that apart from Christ’s salvific work we are more pathetic and hopeless even in our loftiest moments than the scoffers thought Christ to be. Embrace the objective reality of the sinner’s need for a Savior. Walk in the path of the Messiah. Have faith in the most absurd of realities; it is the only one that truly matters.

A Theology of the Arts

Note: This is a paper I wrote for my Music Survey class. Although I'm turning this in for a grade, it is very much in progress and incomplete, and I see it mostly as an opportunity to begin developing a personal theology of the arts. I offer it here on the blogosphere for your reflection.

Human creativity is a creation of God. With the rest of creation, it should be seen as a means to an end: the glorification of the One who is deserving of all glory. Given that God created in order that His glory may be revealed to mankind and displayed in all his creation, a theology of the arts must be developed within the framework of salvation history, seeing God’s covenant people, in Israel and now in the Church, as the pleasing end of God’s creation. Creativity, as a facet of imago dei can then be seen as an attribute and gift of humanity that must be used for the glory of God.

In developing a theology of the arts it is necessary to begin with theology proper: what can be said about God himself, his character, and his actions; this is the framework within which one can accurately talk about humanity and the standard by which the actions of man are measured. As Dick Staub notes in The Culturally Savvy Christian, the first sentence in the Bible tells us that “God created.” Regardless of which interpretation one adheres to regarding chronology in Genesis 1, the message of the creation story is the same: God is the creator of all things. It can then be seen through observation of nature that God can be described as what humans call ‘creative.’ God’s creation shows an unbelievable amount of diversity, beauty, and splendor. Mathematical patterns (fractals are a fascinating example) that can be observed within nature display both the order and brilliance of God’s creation, a brilliance that can only be longed for by humans.

Staub also notes the response of God to his creation, calling it “good.” God, the artist-creator, is pleased to see his work, and delights in it. The creation of humans, however, stands out from the rest of creation. At the end of the sixth day of creation, having created man, male and female, God calls his work “very good.” Here, too, on the sixth day, is the first development of the concept of man being made in the image of God. Unlike the rest of creation, man is given a commission directly from God to preside over creation. This is only the beginning of Scripture’s witness that humans hold a particular place in creation; indeed all salvation history attests to this.

Having a concept of God’s creative qualities, human creative ability should be understood as a facet of imago dei. Humans have the ability to be creative because they bear characteristics of their creator God. While the rest of creation displays God’s creativity passively (by nature of having been made by God), humans are unique in expressing God’s creativity actively.
Human creativity, as a part of creation, must be seen to have the same course as the rest of creation. As says Romans 8:22, “…the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” Verse 21 of the same chapter explains, “…creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” The bondage this verse speaks of is in Genesis 3, at the Fall, where sin entered the world and corrupted creation. There is evidence in Scripture that the arts are affected by the fall along with the rest of creation. Genesis 4, in its genealogy of Cain, mentions the first musician, Jubal, and the first poet, Lamech. Interestingly, some scholars note that the poem in Genesis 4:23-24 has an unnatural, awkward meter in Hebrew, suggesting that the art of the sinful line of Cain cannot be called ‘good.’

God’s motion in salvation history is to reconcile mankind and all creation to Himself. This should be seen as a dominant theme throughout Scripture, culminating in the description in Revelation 21 of the new creation. It reasons to believe that at this point in salvation history, human creativity, though now marred by sin, will be restored. Though this is perhaps speculation, given man’s ever growing understanding and vision of God in the new creation, perhaps artistic ability will be correspondingly heightened to before unimagined levels of beauty and creativity in adoration of the perfect God.

Scripture also shows examples of God’s people using art as a means to express their adoration of God in this age of sin. Scripture is full of poems and songs, from Adam’s poem to his wife (Genesis 2:23), to the song of Moses in Exodus 15, to the Psalter, Song of Songs, Mary’s Magnificat, and ultimately, the song of the Lamb in Revelation 19. Beyond this, the beauty of the Temple in the time of Solomon can be looked to as an example of visual art used to the glory of God—indeed, even made to the specifications of God. Art is perhaps a preview of things to come, yet also a comfort and aid for these pilgrim days.

The overwhelming model of art in Scripture is that of a truthful reflection of a God-centered reality. This statement requires unpacking in two ways. First, the artist should not hold the pretension that he is creating truth, as truth cannot be seen as something to be created. Rather, the artist’s responsibility is to find creative, beautiful, inspiring ways to express what God has revealed to be true in creation and in His Word. Second, the reflection of truth ought to be truthful. Art is an interpretation of reality; Christians who create art should interpret art from a Gospel perspective, as those who know the Truth.

Throughout Scripture, art is used as a means of corporate worship of God. So too, today, art in all forms can and should be used as a tool in the Church. This context does not provide space for a sufficient discussion of aesthetics of worship. However, it can be said in brief that not all art is appropriate for corporate worship. While all art done by Christians can (and should) be seen as a worshipful act, given Paul’s teachings on church order, the purpose of the church—that being the edification and preservation of God’s people and consequent spread of the Gospel—must remain primary.

In contemporary American churches, however, it seems that there is a restrictive cuff on Christian artists. While Christians should be expected to create art that is a true and imaginative expression of reality, far too many churches stifle artistic growth by their narrow definitions of Christian art. Churches must create space for appreciating art that stretches boundaries of comfort; this is art that will get the ear of the greater culture. This is art that can proclaim the Gospel outside the walls of the church, and in doing so, allow human creativity to fit more completely into God’s plan for his church: the reclamation of the world for his glory.

Finally, the artist can never be boastful in his work. Inasmuch as creativity is seen as a gift for the benefit of the Church, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 4:7 apply: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” Human creativity a creation of God; being a gift, it cannot be claimed boastfully. But even more so, human creativity is the very creativity of God. And, in this fallen world, it can be seen as a grace of God, helping us to persevere. Art expresses the longings of the soul for God to make all things new. Indeed, art itself yearns to be made new.