What About Art And Angels?

Today’s message will be supported by visual art. For some of us, that will be a stretch and for others a welcome change. Our tradition struggles with the use of visual arts in worship. In the break with the Roman Church, one of the issues was that artistic images became objects of worship; instead of pointing worshippers to God, the picture or sculpture became God. A limited, controllable miniature replacement for God and that we will avoid.

Because art and artistic representations of Creation are a great gift. God has given two books of revelation. Scripture and Creation both teach us who God is and point to His glory and power.

So today, I invite you to see the world as it is and as it was and will be. Long ago the world along with Humanity fell into sin and spiritual darkness covered the land. Creation became a thing to use and abuse. And that included everything from slavery and prostitution to dog fighting and trophy hunting. The Gospel says that Jesus’ arrival was as light coming into the world. Light that exposes evil deeds done in shadow. Light that helps people see the beauty of Creation clearly. It should come to no surprise then that Jesus is born at night to the most extravagant fireworks display ever seen by so few.

As we read the familiar words of Luke 2 imagine the scene:

2              In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴             “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

A dry land, dusty roads, the brightest coloured clothing Imperial red scarves around the throats of Centurions. Everyone else dressed in greys and browns walking about brick or mud buildings – even the Temple subdued.

A dim stable where the king spent the night. Yellow straw, old wood, stone cast in shadow – And it’s night, even with the stars, dark; colours drained away to black and white. A quiet fire? The sound of animals and conversation? We don’t know. What we do know is suddenly an angel appears.

What did that look like?

Glory shone.

Angles appeared – a great many of them.

And what was that like?

Artists have tried to express such beauty for centuries.

Do angles look like this . . . . .

The truth is that we just don’t know. We do know that angels can take human form. The stories of Abraham, Daniel and Mary confirm it. We know that angels are warriors, servants and messengers. We know that angels shine glory – Gods glory all around. And that glory, brightness, clarity, purity is attractive. The truth is in plain sight and accepted; the world is revealed for what it is. And the glory within the human heart that we call being made in God’s image responds.

Human beings long for glory, the glory of God; we long for beauty.

Why else do we paint and carve and build and cultivate? Why else to we have museums and art galleries artists clubs and car shows? In Exodus a third of the book is devoted to fine art and craftsmanship commissioned by God for the building of the Tabernacle. Why? Could it be that it is in beauty that God is most at home and invites us to meet him there?

I wonder why it is that so many of us decorate for Christmas. As a child, we had little money, so my parents were wise to save for times of need and important events. As a young boy I remember getting the tree and decorating it with lights and fragile glass balls and ornaments. They sparkled and reflected the light. We would put that silver thread called icicles on and the whole thing would shimmer. I’d squint and see nothing but lights. Christmas Eve would come and food I’d see but once a year appeared in abundance. Croquette, smoked eel, chocolate, gouda cheese, mandarin oranges and Christmas cookies. Set on a festive table. It was beautiful. The plain became grand; the ordinary became amazing.

And at the centre was a family tradition that my oldest sister organized with courage: the family Christmas concert. There were 8 of us and we’re all musical in some fashion. So we sang and played and prayed. I believe God met us there in the beauty., just as he met us throughout the year in the ordinary.

The point I’m making is that in those moments of beauty we received a gift, a boost to carry us through the ordinary times and the dark times.

I believe the longing for beauty lives in all people, but of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For some beauty is in creating and constructing, for others it’s in nature and tending the garden. And when we meet God in beauty, all is as it should be; people find wholeness there, worth and purpose. They find joy.

True, many don’t understand this and their search for beauty gets confused. Body image and bust size, building, buying, accumulating and achieving the gifts and goals get twisted. We live in a time and culture that has too much to appreciate much of it for any period of time. Many Canadians are drowning in abundance. There is so much, but as Christmas shopping is telling us, there is a drive for more. More of what?

People can be surrounded by wonder and fail to see it. I teach at Ponoka Elementary on Thursdays. This week I was teaching on the dysfunction of Isaac and Rebecca’s family. I was telling the children how Jacob and Rebecca trick Isaac and then asked what that could do to them. A boy right in front of me shot his hand up and said, they’d get a divorce. I was stunned. And then three more hands slowly rose as each child in turn told me that their parents were divorced and what it was like for them. One little girl talked about how hard it was to see her mom because she lived in BC now. I didn’t know what to say. My heart was broken for these children.

Too young for such pain and yet so common. The wonder of God’s design smashed, but not beyond repair. In so many stories like these and the ones we read in scripture and the ones we are living today. There is much suffering, brokenness and disappointment. Is anyone here willing to say they’ve never suffered? And yet isn’t that often what fuels our search for beauty and wholeness?

I wonder what those shepherds so long ago were searching for. They say that shepherds were an outcast group in ancient Israel. Funny because so many heroes of Israel were shepherds: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David to name a few. Maybe this was another thing twisted. Maybe it came from the city folk who just didn’t like the smells and sounds. It doesn’t matter why, but it does illustrate an important theme in the story. God sends angels to tell regular working folk that the Promise has come. God sends his Glory to show that there is beauty and wonder and wholeness in the regular things of life. A baby being born, a humble home, honest work, family life all display the vibrant colours of God because of Jesus. Can we see it?

I watched a talk show the other day and a family received a trip to Disneyland. Because they deserved it. Deserved it? If we need Disneyland to see beauty and to know joy, then it’s an idol.

Jesus not Disney meets the quest for beauty in everyday things. In Jesus, how people see the world change. In Jesus, the senses we are born with explode with truer meaning and purpose. The world as we know it becomes rich and beauty emerges as God’s great gift that it is.

                Colours come alive

                Food has more flavour

                Sounds are richer

                Smells are deeper

                Textures have more texture, soft or hard, smooth or rough

Work has new meaning. Life has more joy because the dreariness and dullness are redeemed. The regular duties of the day become opportunities to celebrate. How else is it that so often those with so little know such joy when those with so much are often still so unhappy?

In the world as we know it, those who are in Christ get it. They see the lure and reject it for true beauty because they can see where the pockets of darkness yet remain. Places to avoid and places to confront. Places to share the good news; places to tell grade four students that their pain is real and won’t be forgotten.

Maybe the message for us today is that God’s beauty could be celebrated more often. Maybe it would be good for us to sit in front of a painting or to look out the window over the land for the sheer joy of its beauty. Or to listen to a song, a CD, a symphony – to just sit and listen, picking out each sound, instrument or word.  Just to be reminded of beauty and the God who blesses it.

For a sample there is a song posted on U-Tube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfODZKGxufE

 The theme is light coming into darkness; God keeping his promise. The picture all connect in some way to the story of God’s people. The artist is Michael Card, The Promise. Take some time to reflect in an artistic way the wonder of Jesus who brings light and beauty.