|  Wow,
the concept of art vs. experience has about one million spiritual
applications. Where do I start? God created humans in his
image. Are we the artistic outflow of God’s heart? Although
tainted by our own sin, we cannot deny that all of the good in this
world comes from God. We did not create ourselves to love. Then,
there’s the dichotomy of passion vs. security. In
art, there is passion, and in experience, there is deep strength
and knowledge. Who ever said that we should live without
passion? Alex makes this point clearly. Life would be miserable
without passion and adventure. God asks us to not lean on our own
understanding (there’s adventure), but also asks us to use
wisdom as we live our lives. After all, it’s a frightful thing
to imagine what life would be like if we followed our unrestrained
passion to its end. Now about marriage, the same concept applies.
Marriage is the perfect institution created by God to give both
stability and passion. And what about talents (art expressed through
writing, singing, painting, accounting, volunteering, “your
talent here” )? The concept of using one’s God-given
gifts to their highest calling is a concrete teaching of Christ
(Parable of the Talents). We are told not to waste our time here,
but to use our talents, our finances, our intellect, and our resources
to show God’s love to others. Much like this film suggests,
experience is a rich resource. We can understand Biblical truths,
develop empathy, learn valuable life lessons, and share those insights
with others who need guidance.
ON
EXPERIENCE
Deep
experience is never peaceful.
--HENRY JAMES (1843–1916)
Every
experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the
perfect preparation for the future that only he can see.
--CORRIE TEN BOOM (1892–1983)
Experience
dulls the edges of all our dogmas.
--GILBERT AIMÉ MURRAY (1866–1957)
Experience
is a good school, but the fees are high.
--HEINRICH HEINE (1797–1856)
ON
CREATIVITY
A
true work of art is but a shadow of divine perfection.
--MICHELANGELO (1475–1564)
Art
is the gift of God and must be used for his glory. That in art is
highest which aims at this.
--MICHELANGELO (1475–1564)
Creative
force, like a musical composer; goes on unweariedly repeating a
simple air or theme, now high, now low, in solo, in chorus, ten
thousand times reverberated till it fills earth and heaven with
the chant.
--RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803–1882)
Creativity
is the basic attribute of God, identical with his uniqueness.
--HERMANN COHEN (1842–1918)
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ON
GOD AS CREATIVE
A
house testifies that there was a builder, a dress that there was
a weaver; a door that there was a carpenter; so our world by its
existence proclaims its Creator, God.
--RABBI AKIBA BEN JOSEPH (C. 40–135)
“In
the beginning” God created. God called into being, all things
out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely
free, and for infinitely wise reasons.
The
cause of all things exists only in the will of God.
The
fact that God is the Creator distinguishes Yawhew as the true God
(Isaiah 37:16; Isaiah 40:12-13; Isaiah 54:5; Psalm 96:5; Jeremiah
10:11-12).
The
one great end in the work of creation is the manifestation of the
glory of the Creator (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11; Romans 11:36).
God
must have made some parts of creation for sheer fun—how else
would you account for the kangaroo?
--G. K. CHESTERTON (1874–1936)
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