Christianity In Art
Art brings to life something that cannot be expressed with mere words. The visual experience of the forms and colors expressed by an artist can evoke emotions felt deeply in ones soul. For Christians around the world, and throughout time, art is a moment of reflection on our faith. The deep and profound expression of our inner voice is spoken as we look upon an artist’s vision of their deepest beliefs.
Art is so much more than paint on canvas or figures chipped from stone. Men and women around the world have stared at statues and paintings for centuries in rapture. It is not uncommon for us to be moved to tears by the inclusive colors and textures. Art somehow finds a way to enter into the purest part of our faith. And surprisingly, this was part of the original Christian thinkers intention.
In the time of Christ and the early Church, art gave a voice to a world where few people could read and write. Its colors and subjects were a voice to the masses of people in communities who struggled to understand their purpose. Art gave them a roadmap to their faith!
Christian art is also very much about the artist. For P. Buckley Moss, her faith is at the core of who she is as a person, a mother, an artist. As Easter approaches this week, during this shelter-in-place reality that we are all a part of, art can bring to us the community we all crave right now. To look upon the crucifiction and celebrate the sacrifice made for us is something somber and refreshing.
This week let us all celebrate our faith. Take a moment to reflect upon our beliefs and embrace the beauty that only art can share with us in such a deeply personal part of our lives.
And share your reflections with others, with me. Just as Pat painted her vision with deep, heavy strokes of color, so should we share the beauty and blessings that come from a life of deep faith.
Be safe everyone. Reach out to as many people as you can to check on them and give them a moment of community. We are all in this together–what better lesson can Easter week give us?
The Value of Community
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley
In a time when our community is “virtual” we are collectively appreciating all the things that our neighbors contribute to our lives. Pat Moss spent many years of her artistic life exploring the communities in and around the Shenandoah Valley. She loved the communities that Quakers built and often spent time sketching and painting their simpler way of life. What does community mean to you? Are you missing the moments shared? We should all take this solitude and explore the meaning of community. I have a feeling it will be far more valuable!
History as a Lesson in Hope
Headlines from The Columbus Dispatch in 1918
from October 11 on the left to November 8 on the right.
CREDIT THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH / COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY
Ohio’s major cities reacted to these closure orders at varying paces. Cincinnati had already closed most public gathering places on October 5, Dayton closed with the October 8th order, Columbus and Cleveland started to fall in line and got everything closed by the 14th, Toledo received the state order a few days late, but started closures once they got word.
No one was happy about the closures. Cincinnati theatres convinced the city to stay open through Sunday, October 6th so that their current shows could finish their run. Columbus’s Health Officer, Dr. Louis Kahn closed theatres just before the Governor’s suggestions were issued. However, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce asked that a previously planned concert at Memorial Hall be allowed to go on, because only a higher class of person would attend (and assumedly, they would not spread disease). In Cleveland, police arrested various people breaking public gathering laws, including a group of Jewish men holding religious services, a candy shop owner and their patrons, and a gambling game (the gamblers insisted that they were not gambling, but the police insisted that was not why they were being arrested).
