Why Art Matters for the ChristianSample

Have you thought about the life of Jesus before he came into public view at the age of 30? He was the son of a tradesman in Nazareth, a backwater town in the backwoods of Galilee. He was far from the center of Jerusalem's political power, learning how to create things from his earthly father. As the Son of God, the one who was with God in the beginning when He breathed the stars into space, how do you think he approached his work of creating a new table? As Dorothy Sayers wrote in Why Work?, “No crooked legs or ill-fitting drawers ever, I dare swear, came out of the carpenter’s shop at Nazareth. Nor, if they did, could anyone say that they were made by the same hands that made heaven and earth.” Our world exudes excellence in all things. From the fine-tuned precision of the bird’s flight to the elegant frailty of the rose, it’s clear that its designer valued excellence.

The call for excellence isn’t reserved for a rarefied group of artists. It’s a call to arms for all of those who follow Jesus. Excellence ought to be the calling card for those who name the name of Jesus, who claim to follow in the footsteps of the tradesman of Nazareth.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us that your work's object is secondary to your work's manner. Your rule over the earth may be maintaining a house and fighting back the dirt and dust that threaten to overtake it every day. Or it may be cooking meals for hundreds of guests each night, providing them with a moment with friends and food. Or it may be sitting in front of a computer screen to ensure that all the numbers are in order and that bills are paid on time. Each vocation when done with excellence, reflects the God who created you.

True excellence mysteriously combines human skill and mastery with the inspiration of the Spirit. In Exodus 31:1, God asks the Israelites to build for Him a tabernacle which will be the dwelling place of God with man. God empowered Bezalel and Oholiab to fashion the gold, silver, stone, and wood into a beautiful work of art.

Artistic skill inspires awe. Excellence is the platform upon which the artwork stands and gains viewing. As followers of Jesus, we can learn to pursue excellence ourselves from his excellence. Not for our gain or notoriety, but to reflect the image of the one who made us.