I gleaned this Auden quote from a post on Facebook by John Poch, a poet, a professor, a husband, a father, a friend, and most importantly a man of faith. I have found that one of the challenges of maintaining a friendship with former instructors is that they never stop. They constantly introduce me to works I’ve not read, challenging me to continue my education. This is compounded by my father, a history professor, who still works on molding his progeny. After I finish this snatch of writing, I will need to look into purchasing yet another book, Auden’s collection of essays, “The Shield of Perseus.” In the quote above, Auden makes a very challenging point.
In our modern Western Worldview, we cling to the concept of secular and sacred, binning activities, artistic works, and even people in one of two camps. Look deeply enough into the heart of this dichotomous worldview we find our very human drive toward legalism. In this passage, Auden rightly pushes back against such a limited view of art and the Christian. For the Christian, nothing exists outside the realm of the sacred. In our modern world we like to think of ourselves completing discrete, separate tasks; now I’m doing my work, now I’m being a husband, now I’m worshiping. Almost two millennia before Auden picked up his pen, Paul wrote these words, “23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” Colossians 3:24-25 English Standard Version (ESV)
The thing is, God, a jealous God, wants it all. We, as selfish and timid people, want to limit the intrusion. God calls us to join Him in His continuing creative work. I hesitate, wanting to keep some area unto myself. If, if I can label some part of my life as secular, then holiness and its attendant considerations need not intrude. In the secular portions of my life, my desires, my rules reign supreme. After all, this portion of my life is secular and I can do as I please with it. We do not find this dichotomy in scripture. God owns it all. For me, as a husband, father, teacher, and dabbling artist, this fundamental truth alters my worldview. Now, everything I do bears the imprint of His hand and everything reflects His impact on my life. Do I work in conjunction with His Spirit?
If I believe what Paul and Auden say, the question is not one of secular or sacred, but one of alignment or influence. In a very fundamental way, we live in God’s masterpiece. Every sunset that flames the sky in bold and subtle colors is His work. The vast encompassing sweeping stillness of a prairie echoes with His footsteps on the wind. He made it and declared it “Good.” Waves climbing a sloping beach gently hiss His name. All creation reflects the imprint of the maker’s hand. So when I engage in activities, mundane or profound, I must consider their alignment with my maker. If I take God seriously, I do nothing out of hand. God is not some garment I put on and off at will. I cannot confine Him to a room I visit on the convenient occasion. He’s an overwhelming primal force that sweeps into time and space with a presence that demands consideration and oddly, at least from a human perspective, a gentleness that preserves our freedom. Whether I’m teaching a class, cooking a meal, shopping for “stuff,” or writing, I’m participating in an ongoing adventure of creation. My only choice is whether I participate in concert with Him, or work against His plan. I know that we speak of this frequently, but still, I find myself thinking of “Christian” music; as if music can somehow be Christian. For the Christian, the entire tapestry of life remains sacred.
When we let the modern penchant for compartmentalization enthrall us, we dilute the leavening effect of the Spirit. Through this, we close off rooms and wings of our lives, rendering much of what we do weak, anemic, and often impotent. God calls us to reckless abandon, not some paltry substitute, efficacious only on Sundays. We also leave open the door for legalism, the dry-rot that sinks so many ships of faith. When God’s love inundates our lives, it pushes out the need for, or dependence on, external rules or guideposts to keep a course. I do not need statutory guidance in creating art. I find freedom, freedom to create as moved, freedom to explore, and freedom to follow. When I bend to His will, letting the potter’s hand work freely, I create truly beautiful works of art in all that I do. I move with Him. I find His presence everywhere and in all things. My work, my ballot, my art, and my family all attuned to His guiding hand. And this may be what Auden seeks to clarify. When we seek to define or categorize some art as Christian and some as not, we severely curtail or limit the freedom we find in Christ. We also limit the voice of God through us, or our work, as a venue.
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