The Word in the Wings
The Word in the Wings > Art Glorifying The Artist
Art Glorifying The Artist
By: Audrey Hammitt
Glorify (v.) 1a: “to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration” 2: “to light up brilliantly” 3: “to represent as glorious” 4: “to give glory to (as in worship)” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glorify)
Here at Glorify Performing Arts, our goal is to glorify God through the art of dance and inspire our audiences to glorify Him in their own lives. Our next Dance & Dialogue performance on February 8 will center around the theme of “Faith in Action.” However, to better equip ourselves to live out our faith in a way that brings glory to God, let’s first take a look at a few ways that the arts glorify the Lord.
The first thing we learn about God in the Bible is that He is a creator, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 NIV). Throughout the first five days of the Creation account, we learn that God spoke everything into existence. I love the imagery C.S. Lewis paints in The Magician’s Nephew of Aslan singing creation into being. This makes me think about how being alone in an empty room or house can inspire me to sing and fill the space, no matter how off-key I might sound. If God might have used the art of music in the first 5 days, then we could think of Him utilizing the art of sculpture on the 6th day. On the sixth day after filling the earth with land creatures, He “got His hands dirty.” For this final creation, created in God’s own image, He hand-formed man and woman and breathed life into them. Imagine opening your eyes for the very first time, and your senses are filled with all the colors, textures, sounds, variety, and organization of the Garden of Eden. Further, the first words Adam and Eve each heard were likely from God’s mouth. Once Eve was formed from Adam’s side, God blessed and commanded them to not only enjoy the world and God, but to be co-creators by cultivating the world and ruling over it, like God rules over all things.
"the heavens declare the glory of god..."
What has been created innately points back to and reveals something about the artist who made it. If a painting features lots of flowers and warm colors, we could assume the painter has some relationship toward flowers, such as they are a common surrounding, the artist is fond of their design and appearance, or even the picture depicts a fond memory the painter wants to transpose onto canvas. Likewise, I believe all of creation points back to the first Creator and can reveal God’s character and urge us to join their worship of Him. Psalm 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Being outside in nature often soothes my soul and lifts the gaze of my spirit to the One who has everything under control. Finding delight in the fluttering leaves or warm sunlight leads me to remember my God also delights in my fluttering heart or warm gazes I shed on others.
When humans make art, we are participating in our God-imaging purpose. The expansive definition of what “counts” as art can be the topic of another blog post, but for the purpose of this post, believe with me that each of you are artists, no matter what your occupation or life conditions may be. As Christians, we are called to interact with and respond to the world around us, seeking not only God’s glory, but the good of other people. We embody this way of life through our many forms of art. For the musician, creating soothing melodies to reflect the peace of God or intricate rhythms to highlight the detailed-nature of God might be avenues he or she chooses. For the accountant, completing a client’s tax forms with wisdom and efficiency can model God’s knowledge and care for the elements of our lives. For the dancer, such as one of us in Glorify Dance Theatre, she can demonstrate truths from the Bible through her movement and expression, providing visuals for the viewer to ponder and apply to their own life.
"when humans make art, we are participating in our god-imaging purpose."
As a human who dances, I am so grateful for the art of dance, because without it my life would be much less vibrant and holistic. Mentally recognizing that dance is a gift from God and can be a means by which I can praise Him has infused my dancing with more passion and significance. In the moments of life where joy and gratitude bubble up inside of me, jumping up and down and “happy dancing” help me fully experience those emotions and offer them back to Jesus. In the moments when hope feels lost and I feel weighed down by sadness, my kneeling, pleading, and tense movements provide channels for the uncomfortable stiffness in my chest to move through. This is also prayer and communion with our Creator who chose to be embodied in flesh.
Although the value of art and its ability to glorify God are a bit challenging to affirm through prose writing, my desire was to provide some examples of how I see art glorifying the Lord, which I hope will inspire your own investigation of your theology of art. I pray that even the rhythms of your week, sounds within your home, structure in your days, and collaboration among your relationships can encourage you to see the art God has ordained in your life. May you respond boldly, gently, thoughtfully, or even loudly to Jesus’ invitation to co-create with Him. The art awaits.
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