Fragments of Light

Monthly Archives: July 2015

The Work of Art Making, Part Two

[R]emember the rainbows God made for the fallen world. Because paintings and novels and music are somewhat like rainbows. God did not have to make rainbows. He could have just said it black on white, “I will keep covenant with the earth,” just as he wrote in stone the Ten Words. And why did Christ teach men and women in parables? Couldn’t he have been more straightforward, so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings? But it pleased Christ to tell the story of the good Samaritan, and it pleased God to make rainbows in the sky. And it has pleased the Holy Spirit to give certain people gifts of drawing, imagining and making melody.
—Calvin Seerveld, Rainbows for the Fallen World

Reflecting on art making as gifted work—work given as a gift, the philosopher, Calvin Seerveld, offers a challenge to the art maker to discover “why the Lord put this talent in our creaturely laps and how is art to keep its holy rainbow character rather than become a mirage.”

Comments welcome.