Art and Theology Foundational Understanding: Literature

When God began to create the heaven and earth he did so by speaking. He speaks and things suddenly come into exsistence. There have been many who say that God did not merely speak but sang creation into existance citing Job 38. Such a claim is not surprising considering the sing song quality of these verses. The chapter practically breathes as we read it... "and there was evening (inhale) and there was morning (exhale) the first day." We don't even get through the first chapter before we begin to see the first few lines of poetry. The Bible is so filled with poetry in fact, that I will speak more on poetry and spirituality later. This particular literary exploration is about narrative, prose, and story.

Though the Bible contains lists and instructions, primarily it is a literary work filled with stories. This is embarassing to many in today's culture who want to rape the texts and take from it a few life lessions to carry along with them. Lessons that support their lifesytle, and promote their own goal of self-actualization. We almost wish God had given us a list rather than a story. (Note our current fixation with the ten commandments. Why this list among the allof others that Yahweh commanded?)

Story however is not clean and neat, but is instead suprising and subversive. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie and wanted to tell the characters, "Don't go in there!" "Don't do it!" "Hey stupid, he loves you... can't you see that?" Stories have a way of engaging whole persons in ways that other forms do not.

Story also allows for relationship. When we encounter characters in stories we can find our ways into relationship with the characters. We can tell who we love, and who we despise. We can identify or be horrified by characters. In comparison, when was the last time you felt special affinity for a list of principles?

I often imagine myself within stories. I imagine myself with Harry Potter giving him advice. I rejoiced with him when he finally kissed Jenny Weasley. I cried over Dumbledore.

I have also wrestled with the angel (still am wrestling in fact). I have cried with Hannah, and I have played the harp with David. Sotries are invitations to walk with the writer. Through the characters and chronicles you begin to see the author... and that is true of God as well.

in scripture this takes on an even higher dimension. We begin to see in as the author of not just a book, but history itself. More Later...