A fascinating NPR story made the rounds yesterday, and it?s a great reminder that art is (or can be) powerful. We tend to forget that because these days ??inside and outside the church ??art is often used to entertain, pacify, distract, dazzle, or sell. But every so often we?re given the gift of a piece of art that rends our hearts, upends our assumptions, and rattles our worldviews. This is what only art can do.
To me, the Jesus the Homeless statue is a great example:
Photo credit: John Burnett/NPR
The statue disrupts, provokes, and challenges. The statue demands thought and response. The statue ignites a meaningful conversation (the NPR article had 776 comments just 18 hours after it was posted ? on a Sunday) that may well result in meaningful change.
In this mad sprint to Easter, I?m grateful for this story and the statue. Not only did they lead me to consider the person of Christ and his words in Scripture passages such as Matthew 25, but they also reminded me of the power of art to catalyze such a reaction. People inside and outside the church need their hearts rent, their assumptions upended, and their worldviews rattled, don?t they?
As such, may we remember the power of art created with passion, intent, and skill.
