Why Art Matters for the Christianናሙና

Genesis 2:2 should surprise us. It is not as though God was tired and lacked the energy to push forward. He didn’t need to take a break. But by taking a Sabbath rest, God was teaching His creation the importance of slowing down and paying attention. The Sabbath day was designed to remind mankind of its dependence upon God. To take time to give thanks, recover strength, and celebrate the week’s work.

Sabbath weaves into the weekly rhythm of life a time to pause and reflect. It reminds me of the word Selah found in Hebrew poetry. It’s a word that invites pause and reflection, possibly a cue for a musical interlude that will draw the worshiper's full attention to the words just sung. When we hurriedly move from one event to the next, without giving our soul time for reflection, we can walk right past the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and His life-giving words.

Philosopher Simone Weil once said, “Attention is the purest form of generosity.” Money, influence, and power fluctuate in each season of life, but attention is something that is fixed. Each moment is fleeting. Time cannot be slowed down or sped up, and using our time to behold an individual or a work of art is a pure gift.

Full attention is a skill set to be developed. Powerful forces work within our culture to capture our attention and hold it, then sell it off to the highest bidder. One of the great tasks of discipleship in the 21st century is to reclaim our attention from the marketing economy and direct it toward that which is “good, true, noble, and pure.”

Good art is such a useful element in training the mind, body, and heart to pay attention. It trains your eye to notice what is beautiful and linger. It trains your heart to respond. When you can train yourself to stay focused on a work of art instead of bouncing your attention between schedules, demands, and desires, you’ll start to notice the finer changes within yourself and learn from them.

Great art demands your attention but then gives it back to you with eyes to see the world in greater detail.