Imagine

Turner, Steve. Imagine. InterVarsity Press, 2001. 

In Imagine, Steve Turner lends a no-nonsense voice to the conversation of whether or not Christians belong in the world of the arts. Speaking from his own experiences as a Christian in the world of Rock-n-Roll (as a journalist, not a musician), Turner has a sort of brashness and no-nonsense tone that I found fitting for an old rocker as well as distinct from so many of the other voices speaking about faith and art. 

Imagine begins with Turner explaining why Christians have been so uncomfortable with the arts throughout our history: citing things like the use of Icons which can quickly become idolatry, the feeling that works of fiction are “lies” or that actors have to “lie” in order to perform a play. He talks about the  issue of art being “leisure,” addressing the Puritan argument that leisure activities are intrinsically evil because they distract us from God. Not only does he offer compelling counter arguments for each of these issues, he also addresses what he believes to be the real problem, the separation of the “spiritual” from the “physical” - which is Platonic philosophy that was readily adopted by the church and is still evident in a lot of christian teaching today. Turner rejects Platonic theology outright and argues that Christians are meant to live integrated lives, where there is no separation of the spiritual and the secular, and where God is present in every activity and moment, including leisure. He sees “bad Christian art” as essentially unintegrated art, because it is really just propaganda that tries to convince non-believers that they ought to be believers. He argues instead that when we create art based on the integrated life, we are able to connect with people who do not yet know God. As an example Turner compares CCM music with the rock music that he wrote about: CCM is the only genre that is based on the lyrics and not on the musical style - which means it is the only genre in which the lyrics drive the melody and not the other way around. This creates music that the non-Christian world finds difficult to respect, because it isn’t good. Not only that, but because the non-believer has no common understanding with a lot of what CCM talks about they are alienated from it. What this means is that the intent of CCM, which is to “reach the lost” is mostly ineffectual. He also points out that “saving souls” is the work of the Holy Spirit, not the artist. Turner argues that a Christain artist will have a far greater impact if they create good art out of common experience, which would be his definition of  integrated art. 

So what makes the Christian art different if it is not overtly religious? Turner’s answer to this question is “the renewed mind.” An understanding of the creation, fall and redemption narrative gives the believer greater access to the power of “Myth,” and he points out that the believer should have a better understanding of good and evil which would allow them to represent both in a more powerful way. 

He concludes with what he believes to be the most important and impactful thing that the Christian artist can do: “just be there.” We are far more powerful witnesses through our lives than through our art. If we are present in a “secular” arts community, making quality art while living a dynamic Christian life, we will be living out our callings as artists and believers and reaching the lost in much more impactful ways.

Epic

Eldredge, John. Epic. Thomas Nelson, 2004. 

John Eldredge’s book Epic was clearly written from a perspective that integrates faith and art by offering a reorienting look at the gospel through the lens of storytelling. In the prologue, Eldredge explains that we have “lost our story.” Seeing reality through the scientific worldview has created a widely held cultural belief that the universe began “by accident” and will end “by accident” which is not only extremely discouraging, but also disorienting “like coming to a movie 20 minutes late.” He argues that not only is this belief system fundamentally hopeless, but also - if you think about it a little harder - scientifically (and indeed, artistically)  fundamentally flawed. Epic is Eldredge’s attempt to help us all recover the story we are in by harkening back to the stories that we all love. 

Eldredge uses examples from many books and films to show us that gospel truths are not just true, but also compelling and desirable realities. By breaking Epic into 4 succinct acts he shows us how these truths fit into the larger story as well. He speaks to our love of heroes, the necessity of a villain, the appeal of romance, and the necessity of sacrifice as universal truths found in stories because they are telling us something about reality. 

By being willing to enter into the world of story, Eldredge is capable of offering a far more compelling version of the Gospel than is often presented (or at least the gospel presentation that has wormed its way into the cultural imagination). Eldredge takes the gospel from “you are a sinner, but Jesus died for you, don't go to hell” to “mankind has fallen because of an unspeakable evil, but a hero will rise from Nazareth to save the world.” Both statements are true, but Eldredge’s version evokes desire by speaking to the part of us that wants to be part of a larger story. In my opinion, this small book is an excellent example of what the church can accomplish when we have an integrated view of art and theology.

The Artisan Soul

McManus, Erwin Raphael. The Artisan Soul. HarperCollins, 2014. 

In The Artisan Soul Erwin McManus takes the conversation of faith and art to a whole new level. . His thesis for the book is that ALL people, whether or not they see themselves as creative, are “both works of art and artists at work.” He bases his argument on his understanding of what it means to reflect the image of God, offering the insight that we reflect God’s image by being creatures capable of imaging futures and bringing them to life. The simple act of physical creation is not enough -  bees create hives out of instinct, ants build ant hills in order to survive. What makes humans stand out is the ability to look beyond instinct, ask the question “why” and change the narrative we find ourselves in. Building on this argument, McManus states that our lives can be an incredible work of art if we allow God to transform us, and if we are willing to use the restrictions placed on us in a positive way. 

Something I really appreciated about this book was the careful consideration McManus gave to the composition. Being a book about art, I was struck with the clear attention to detail and intentional crafting that was involved in the layout and structure. McManus begins with his broadest arguments, his universal truths and then as the book progresses he becomes increasingly more detailed and personal - building on the previous chapters to construct a well organized and well thought through argument that the best possible Christian life is also the most creative. 

I also really appreciate that this book is not just for artists. McManus is a pastor and a futurist, he creates film and briefly dabbled in fashion design, but he approaches the conversation of art and faith from the perspective of an entrepreneur and speaker, not someone who has had a career in “the arts.” As such his ideas of art go farther than most artists addressing the topic. He speaks about an encounter where he saw the dentist approach his work as an artist, and how much better of an experience it was than a run in with a common dentist. He also doesn’t say that every person needs to create art to be an artist, but instead says all people need to find what resonates in their soul, what makes them happy, what brings them closer to God: this way we turn our lives into works of art.

The Artisan Soul offered a different perspective on what art can be, speaking of the intentionality of  an act as what makes it “artistic” instead of the results, and crafting an argument for all people of the importance of continuing to explore their creativity as an absolutely essential part of their faith. This is an argument I wish more of the church would be willing to consider. The future that McManus crafts in this book is the most beautiful picture of the church I can possibly imagine. 

Adorning the Dark

Peterson, Andrew. Adorning the Dark. B&H Publishing Group, 2019. 

In Adorning the Dark Andrew Peterson combines his journey and experiences as an artist with the life lessons that he learned along the way. He used his own story to emphasize his lessons and reflected on how the lessons continued to feed his story. A poignant example of this is when he talked about his obsession with Fantasy novels as a teenager - he couldn’t get enough of dragons and elves and the realms they inhabited, but these books were like salt water to his soul - they offered temporary relief but only made him thirsty. He had a radical encounter with God where he realized that the adventure he longed for in his favourite books could be found in a relationship with Jesus and he was changed forever. At first he abandoned his Fantasy novels, but on a lark one day in college he picked up the Narnia series and was hit by the power of story once again. “The reintroduction of fairy tales to my redeemed imagination helped me to see the Maker, his Word, and the abounding human tales as interconnected.” Such integrated imagination is an example of what Peterson sees as necessary to Christian Artists. 

I appreciated his unique approach to the definition of “Christian Arts.” He cited L'Engle's work in Walking on Water when she states that “all good art is Christian art” but offers his own caveat: “Agenda is bad when it usurps the beauty. Christian art should strive for a marriage of the two. Just as Christ is described as a being full of grace and truth.” Christians should feel the freedom to express their worldview in their art and to come at their artistic practice with a set of beliefs and a way of understanding the world, but that should not be an excuse to create bad art. He also clarifies that there is a difference between artists who are Chrsitians and Christian artists - citing people like Bach and Michelangelo who were specifically called to create art for Christians, and that their calling was no less important than a christian simply called to create excellent art. 

He also offers a refreshing amount of humility and practicality to the work of the Christian artist. He emphasizes the importance of community in the nourishment of art, and the equally important role of art to nourish community. His experiences with a group of friends who go on a Christmas tour every year led him to the profound belief that we flourish when we are in community. It was only because he had found a group of like minded song writers that he was able to continue writing the music he felt called to write when the labels and the radio stations started to shift to “all worship music all the time.” He and his friends were able to support each other’s careers, sell each other CD’s and find each other concerts, their rag tag community kept them all afloat and Peterson was so affected by that experience he founded a Christian Arts organization called “The Rabbit Room” for the same reason. 

He also finds it nearly impossible to separate art from non-artistic work that stewards the earth and creation. He bought an old farmhouse so he could have a place his grandchildren would want to visit and he is constantly at work improving it. He’s built a stone wall with an arch in it, he’s made maple syrup, and he keeps bees. He recommends all artists to find work that they have to do with their hands, work that grounds them and connects them to a home and to the earth. 

His deep sense of place compelled him to invest time and money into learning about his ancestral home in Sweden, hoping that what he would find there was a true feeling of home, but even after all of his work on his farm, after his pilgrimage to Sweden, he still has yet to find home. Reflecting on this longing with God he heard the words “use that.” He has been called to use the longing he has for a home he has never yet known. In the final chapter of the book he keeps emphasizing that the homesickness is the story he has been given to tell the world, because it points to the reality that we are not home, but that we were created for the Kingdom of God that we will one day inhabit. He encourages all artists to find the story they have been created to tell, and to tell it beautifully. 

Walking on Water

L’Engle, Madeline. Walking on Water. 1980. Crosswicks, Ltd, 2001. 

Nearing the end of a successful career as an author, Mrs. L’Engle is asked what it means to be a Christian artist, and Walking on Water was her hesitant, humble response. I am exceedingly glad that she decided to take the task upon herself: she offers deep thought and an unflinching belief in the supernatural to the conversation.  L’Engle’s perspective on art and faith is wholly integrated, so much so that she would say all good art is a reflection of God, even if the creator didn’t realize it, and that no matter how religious something can seem on the surface, it might be nothing more than pornography. To L’Engle, being a good artist and a good Christian are so deeply entwined because they come from the same source - the supernatural that longs so deeply for a relationship with us that he became man is constantly giving us the gift of co-creation, inspiration and art. 

L’Engle’s first question to the reader is if they believe in angels. She did, she believed that angels were all around, speaking truths that cannot be understood by the intellect, but must be approached with the humility of a child and the imagination, because of this we are not “creators” but “co-creators.” Every work of art, all inspiration, comes from God, it is the role of the artist to die to themselves and let the work speak. It is the role of the artist to be: to let go of our own ideas and control and in doing so, to remember that we can walk on water. 

So what stands out about the Christian Artist? To L’Engle, the dignity that a Christian should give their work came down to one simple question - do I want my children to see this? She is careful to clarify that children do not need to be protected from deep truths, and uses the example of her most famous work A Wrinkle in Time as a book that was “too complicated for adults and was therefore marketed to children, who are more imaginative and open to realms of “the impossible.” Likewise, children do not have to be protected from death or even the human body if those things are dignified. But if you would not be comfortable with your children seeing your art because it does not dignify, or does not speak of the transcendent you should not, as a Christian, show that art to others. 

The simple statements that she makes about Christian art are beautifully revealed through reflections from her own life and work, showing that her statements come from a place of deep thought and absolute faith. I will read this book again, and in doing so I hope that this book continues to read me. Calling me into the depths of the supernatural, so I can grow as an artist, and as a Christian. Both require a childlike faith, a willingness to die and remembering what it feels like to walk on water. 

Art and the Bible

Schaeffer, Francis. Art and the Bible. 1973. IVP Classics, 2009. 

“Art and the Bible” was written as a response to the prevailing evangelical worldview that art has no place in the church; the book contains two essays written by Francis Schaeffer. 

In the first essay, Shaffer proves that God is an advocate for the arts because artistic work exists in the bible. He uses multiple examples of art not only taking place in the bible, but also being delegated directly by God to his people. He cites the temple and the tabernacle, the worship of King David, the Song of Solomon and even Ezekiel’s performance of the siege of Israel as proof that God sees art as a natural and intrinsic part of man’s mannishness (in Shaeffer’s words). In the introduction to his argument, Schaffer argues that the lordship of Christ over the whole life of a person means there are no “platonic areas in Christianity” - Jesus is concerned with the whole person, not just with what a person claims to believe. Not only that, but it is clear in Genesis that people were given authority over the earth and expected to reflect the image of God in their creativity. God’s world reflects his deep love of beauty, so should the work of human beings. He addresses and comes up  against many arguments that state art does not belong in the church. An example of this is when he argues against those who cite the commandment not to create graven images. Schaffer offers the counter argument that it was really a command not to worship graven images. The instructions given for the tabernacle (complete with graven images of angels, flowers and fruit) were given at the very same time, and God would not have contradicted himself in such a way. He also shows places in the bible where secular art is celebrated, and shows biblical proof that God asked people to create beautiful things simply because they were beautiful and not to serve a function. 

In the second essay, Shaeffer offers practical ways that art should be analyzed, stating that art should be viewed for its technical aptitude, validity (did the artist create their work just to make money or for a patron?) worldview, and how that worldview fits into the artform selected. From there he shares his thoughts on what Christian art should reflect, first by separating Christian art from Religious art, then speaking to the importance of Christian art reflecting a Christian worldview. His final challenge in this essay is that the greatest work of art for a Christian ought to be the lives they have lived. 

I saw this essay as a tight and tidy look at the validity and necessity of Christian Artists, and have no doubt that it has had a great impact on the modern Christian Arts movements as I have heard all of Shaeffer’s arguments before, but never so succinctly worded.  This essay lays important groundwork for the Christian Artist, but I did not find it inspirational. “Art and the Bible” gives the Christian artist freedom to create, but my reading of it did not give me a good reason to create. Perhaps this dichotomy is because Shaeffer was writing to the intellectuals in defense of artists, or maybe he did not see artists as a group needing encouragement to create. Whatever the reason, I took away a lack of purpose from this essay, even while I appreciated the intellectual arguments. “Art and the Bible” lays a foundation for a Christian Artist that the artist themselves will have to build upon. 

On Fairy Stories

Tolkien, JRR . "On Fairy Stories." A Tolkien Miscellany, The J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust, SFBC in arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002, 97-138.

J.R.R Tolkien is considered the father of modern fantasy, his books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings created the genre and remain the standard to which all other fantasy is compared. It can be easy to take Fantasy for granted as a legitimate genre for adult literature but considering the literary landscape Tolkien was in while he worked on The Lord of the Rings helped me appreciate what a feat it must have been to craft his expansive world. “On Fairy Stories” gives a glimpse of the intellectual and cultural difficulties he must have been facing, and the lack of respect The Lord of the Rings must have gotten before it was published. The beginning of the essay defines what a true “fairy story” is, and speaks to their importance in cultural development. He goes on to argue that they should not be relegated to the nursery but are a taste that adults are allowed to share, though entering into them requires humility and imagination.

He defends the humble fairy story even further by arguing against the critics of the genre’s tendency to write it off as “escapist.” Tolkien does not consider this type of escapism as a bad thing, he actually elevates this escapism by arguing that it both relieves the human soul and creates desire: the desire of the sub-creator to be creative, the desire of an earth dwelling creature to be connected to his world, and the deep desire to escape death and experience a happy ending. To Tolkien, the offer of escape that the Fairy Story gives is not an escape of ignorance or running away, but an antidote to modernism and human ego.  Out of this argument he further develops his idea by touching on the importance of the Eucatastrophe, the turning point in every fairy story (Tolkien’s argued that a story is not a fairy-story without it), where all is set to right. A moment that brings a person incredible joy, not because it is an escape from reality, but because it reveals reality. Tolkien speaks of the resurrection as the great eucatastrophe that didn’t only happen in the mythic world of Faerie, but came into our reality and became history. In this way, when we - the sub-creators - make our own little worlds with their own eucatastrophes we are satisfying the deepest longing of our own souls for escape from the hurting world while we increase our desire for the Kingdom of God. In “On Fairy Stories'' Tolkien creates a beautiful argument for Christian involvement in the arts, and puts into words the power that storytelling has to reflect the gospels. 

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars. Episode IV, A New Hope. Written and directed by George Lucas. Produced by Gary Kurtz. 20th Century Fox; Lucasfilm Limited production, 1977. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 2013.

A 2016 BBC article stated that “In the 2011 census, 177,000 people declared themselves Jedi under the religion section, making it the seventh most popular religion.” Converting people to the Jedi order may not have been George Lucas’s intentions when he created the “Star Wars” universe, but it is no secret that he intentionally tapped into the ethos of “the Hero’s Journey” and man’s longing to be part of something larger than himself. The Jedi Order was crafted to feel ancient and of great importance, making the movie feel more like a Greek Myth than paperback science fiction. Based on the sheer number of “Star Wars” movies, amusement parks and lunch boxes, it is clear that George Lucas created something that was more than a technical achievement or simply a well told and entertaining story - he created something people could believe in, something that helped a massive group of people feel like they were part of something bigger than themselves. Intentionally or not, he created a religion. 

The Hero’s Journey has a curious relationship with religion. First, it is in a chicken-and-egg scenario with the collective imagination by being evident in almost every culture through all of history. Second the gospel story falls so well into the archetypal “Journey” that C.S. Lewis famously almost rejected Christianty as “too good to be true.” It was his friend J.R.R. Tolkien who argued that the gospel seeming to be so closely aligned with the story ingrained in the collective imagination meant that it might just be the truest story of them all. The Hero’s Journey is a powerful storyline that points to the gospel, when used well it can bring people to a better understanding of themselves and of Truth. There are many parallels between Star Wars and the Gospel, but the fact that so many people would choose to put “Jedi” in the religion category of a census is evidence that most people are more interested in the messenger than the message. 

Why is it that Jedi Knight became a popular religion? I think the answer lies in the reason “Jediism” was rejected for charitable status in the UK, simply put “there was insufficient evidence that "moral improvement" was central to the beliefs and practices of Jediism” What Jediism offered people was the Hero’s Journey in a brown paper bag with a side of french fries: fast food for the soul. Star Wars’s “Force” offers a common mythology, a place to belong and a way to sooth the deep internal longings that created the myth of the Hero’s Journey in the first place, but in Jediism, no one is expected to be transformed. The path of Christianity is much more difficult than the path of the “Jedi,” Jesus asks that we die so that we may live, he asks for us to be transformed and to seek our satisfaction outside of the things of this world, all George Lucas was really asking for was our money. 

Though I very much enjoy the Star Wars franchise, during my most recent viewing I asked the question: at what point do filmmakers and storytellers go from truth tellers to manipulators of the human soul? The unarguable success of franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel movies proves that Hollywood has tapped into the collective imagination, and what do so many of our most popular films offer? A gospel that asks nothing of us but to “believe” in something undefined and unknowable like The Force… and the $13.50 we paid to get our movie tickets (a solid $25.00 if someone wants popcorn and a drink). 

I have hope that these cheap gospels can ultimately point people to the real thing when someone is ready to receive it, but I also see the danger in swallowing whole whatever it is pop culture is dishing out. And as much as I enjoy Star Wars, I am grateful that God is a knowable Person who loves me infinitely and not a “Force” that holds the universe together. Jesus demands much more of me than The Force ever could, but what he has to offer is living water and the bread of life, not just fast food for the soul. 

Overcomer

Overcomer. Dir. Alex Kendrick. Perf. Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Aryn Wright-Thompson. Sony Pictures, 2019.

Since the release of their first film Flywheel the Kendrick Brothers have been an institution in the Christian film industry. Their second film, Facing the Giants received a theatrical release and earned more money than anyone could possibly imagine (it was created by a team of volunteers over summer break). The Kendrick Brothers have continued to make films with increasing production values, higher budgets and bigger names from Christian subculture but they are not without their controversy. It is safe to say that the Kendrick Brothers, (specifically Alex Kendrick who stars in three of the five movies) are not well respected by lovers of film. Their movies are seen as cheesy, escapist, awkward and cheap, and are often held up as an example of what is wrong with Christian art in North America. 

“Overcomer” certainly has its moments of cheesiness: there is a rather awkward “salvation prayer” moment between High School student Hannah (portrayed by Aryn Wright-Thompson) and her principal Mrs. Brooks (portrayed by Priscilla Shirer) which felt forced into the film so it had an evangelical message. It also had the very unrealistic outcome of a Freshman with asthma beating a state champion cross-country runner in the last race of the season, even though she hadn’t gotten close to the podium before then - the type of escapism the Kendrick Brothers are often accused of. But there is also an incredible amount of sincerity in the intersecting journeys of the characters. High School student Hannah is dealing with honest struggles, Coach Harrison (portrayed by Alex Kendrick) loses his job with the basketball team and struggles with who he is as a person and a father. Their stories offer a sincere look at honest struggles and Overcomer offers hope and redemption.

In my opinion Overcomer shows the power of storytelling to teach a lesson, a lesson that is easy to miss by people who only see the “Bad Christian Art” label and revel in making their superior knowledge of filmmaking known to their friends at dinner parties. The simple reality is that those people are not the audience that Overcomer is trying to reach. Not all people care about the artistic merit of a creative project, some people want catharsis, escapism, or an enjoyable evening with their families. The Kendrick brothers want to appeal to that audience, and to teach them the power of an identity founded in Jesus Christ. 

Not only is the cynic’s argument unimportant to the Kendrick Brothers, it is also based on an assumption about the nature of art - what they are saying when they proclaim that art with a message is just propaganda (and therefore bad art) is that they have a postmodern understanding of art: “art that exists for no other purpose than to be what it is: not agenda-driven, showing no overriding opinion, revealing no contemporary social relevance. The greatest art ever produced is art for its own sake.” (Stephen Tye Culbert)  The Kendrick Brothers, however, might view art the way it was viewed by J.R.R. Tolkien “The operative link between Imagination and… sub-creation,” (he saw the creation of art as one of the ways we reflect the image of God).

 In Overcomer the Kendrick brothers clearly and beautifully show that we can overcome our obstacles when we ground our identity in Jesus Christ and his redemptive work. Even with the awkward or escapist moments, I can still appreciate the heart of the creators, and the power of their storytelling. 

Jane Eyre

National Theatre at Home. “Jane Eyre.” Youtube.com, National Theatre, April 9, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KPE6uXhFEU&list=PLJgBmjHpqgs6urDHULQEBXwrUVbYsGGCr.

(Note: As the production was live streamed, the full show has been removed from YouTube, the link above leads to official videos on the production by National Theatre) 

In light of the global pandemic, the National Theatre in London decided to release some of their recorded plays on Youtube for hungry playgoers to feel some relief from such an unsettling and isolating time. One of the plays they chose to release was their recent adaptation of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The play was so compelling that I quickly forgot I was watching from my laptop in my kitchen. I was transported to the romantic countryside of England and fell in love with the fierce and fiercely independent Jane. I have not read the novel Jane Eyre in a long time, so I cannot say if the play represented the novel well, but I can assume by the treatment of the themes, characters and overarching ideas that the adaptors gave Bronte the respect she had earned. 

It would have been easy for the adaptation to remove or ignore the theological lessons of the book, but National Theatre refused to broadly paint religion in any light, negative or positive.  The same scene had the cruel religious headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, punish Jane for crimes she did not commit, and the loving young orphan Helen tell Jane she is able to love and forgive because of her deep personal relationship with God. It is Jane’s interactions with Helen inspire her own faith journey, which compels her to forgive her spiteful aunt and motivates her refusal to live with Mr. Rochester while he is still married. It would have been easy in the time of secular humanism to show Mr. Brocklehurst’s stern and heartless religion and leave out the love and grace of Helen, but the National Theatre did not take cheap shots. They made it clear that Mr. Brocklehurt is not a representation of all Christians.

Like their refusal to “take sides” in religious debate, there was always more going on than what may be seen and assumed at face-value in this adaptation. I was struck by the many contrasting characters in similar situations. At face value these characters seemed to be the same but in the end they had very different attitudes and outcomes. Mr. Brocklehurst was a clergyman who tried to force the girls at Lowood School into heaven with fear and an iron fist. St. John is also a clergyman, and he could be very stern, but he is revealed to be a loving preacher who becomes a good friend and confidant to Jane later in the story. And Mr. Rochester’s fair treatment of his ward Adele is a clear contrast to Jane’s spiteful aunt. It isn’t only in these contrasts that the play reveals that there was more going on than what appears at face value, but also in the complexity of the characters themselves. Mr. Rochester was a man with a hard and gruff exterior, but as the story progresses he is revealed as loving, clever and fair - seeing people for their inherent worth instead of their social status. Jane herself was imperfect and easily dismissable, a conflicted woman driven by passion and a ferocity that got her into trouble, but it was this same passion that drove her to love deeply, forgive fearlessly and stand up for herself against all odds of society and expectation. 

National Theatre’s Jane Eyre was an excellent story beautifully presented. The collaborators who made the adaptation succeeded in creating a deeply moving play that captured the themes and romanticism of Bronte’s original novel in a fresh way for a new generation. 

Damien

Damien. Written by Aldyth Morris, Starring Joel Braun. Creating Genesis, 24 Jan. 2020, Akokiniskway Gallery, Rosebud.

The story of St. Damien’s heroic sacrifice is familiar to many people who have learned about church history; Catholic and Protestant alike. Honouring the familiarity of the story,  the play did not shy away from the audience's understanding that the protagonist dies in service to the lepers of Molokai Island. Instead the one man play, written by Aldyth Morris is unconventionally told by the spirit of St. Damien as he watches his own body transported to his homeland as part of his canonization. This creative method of storytelling is the first indication that “Damien” will not be an expected or conventional “church drama.” Instead Damien wrestles with what it really means to live a life of service to God. Damien himself is not a character who is confident in his decisions, nor is he the type of person a mother would ask their children to emulate. He is dirty, coarse and often gets angry. He struggles honestly with his choices and his role in the Catholic Church. What he doesn’t question for a second is the deep love that Jesus had for the lepers of Molokai Island, and that his calling was to give his life in service to those lepers.

 In this way Damien offers a picture of what it must have been like for Christ to come up against the church leadership of his day - the very people that should have supported him were his biggest opponents in the work that he did for the poor and the sick. Like Jesus, Damien did not look or act the way the established church expected, and like Jesus, Damien was condemned for his radical love and carelessness for his own life. 

Being raised in a Protestant context I cannot claim to know or understand the Catholic point of view of the story, but it was clear to me that Damien was doing the work of Jesus Christ, even while his church accused him of being selfish and saying that his anger and neglect of his own well being made him a bad priest. The whole play I wanted to offer Damien an encouraging word, to be one of the people who saw his love and the righteous passion that compelled him. It was a jarring experience that challenged me to rethink what I define as “Godly” or “Holy” in my time and context. Would we recognize Christ if he were to come today? What are the measures we use to define a life of faith? What does it really mean to be a person compelled by love? These are just a few of the questions that “Damien” surfaced for me, and when a work of art brings up more questions than it does answers, it is a shining example of how faith and art can converge without compromising one in service of the other. 

Babette’s Feast

Babette’s Feast. Directed by Jeany Van Meltebeke, Fire Exit Theatre, 15 Dec. 2019, Engineered Air Theatre, Calgary.

Babette’s Feast tells the story of two sisters who had so much beauty and talent that they enchanted great men, but who were compelled to stay unmarried in the same small town where they grew up because of their devotion to their Father’s religious order. Once the sisters have grown old and lost the chance for romance or adventure their devotion to good works and charity compel them to take in a French refugee. Initially they rescue her, but as the story unfolds, it is Babette - the world renowned Chef -who teaches them the power of creativity, generosity and passion to heal a broken village. Babette’s Feast is a sweet and simple story that continues to capture cultural imagination, as evidenced by its adaptation into a movie as well as a play. 

What struck me about Babette’s Feast is that it gently challenges the cultural understanding of what it looks like to live a life in service to God. The contrast of the two old sisters with the fiery Frenchwoman Babette reveals two distinct ways of offering devotion. The sisters let their earthly passions die, not thinking of themselves or personal satisfaction. Babette - equally blessed with a great talent, hones that skill and rises to the top of the French culinary world. Even as a refugee she blesses a village with her excellent cooking and passion for fresh ingredients. In a stunning example of Psalm 85:10 in which “Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed.” Babette’s love for food and cooking culminates in her spending an entire fortune making one extravagant meal, a masterpiece that goes unrecognized by those invited to enjoy it.  The “truth” of the old sisters comes up against the “grace” of Babette and they are both better for the meeting. 

While the story shows a deep contrast in how life can be lived, it does not condemn either choice. There is no warning against sacrificing your passions on the altar of “good deeds and service” as the sisters did, nor does it accuse Babette of ambition or pride for her choice to live as a great artist.  Instead, the feast that Babette puts on is a small reflection of that great feast the old sisters are so looking forward to - a picture of hope for both the passionate creative and the sacrificial sisters, “Babette’s Feast” reveals the Kingdom of God as the place where all will be restored. In the Kingdom no talents will be wasted, no love will be lost, and no feast will go unappreciated.