{"id":1220,"date":"2010-10-17T19:22:16","date_gmt":"2010-10-17T19:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/2010\/10\/ars-longa-no-longer.html"},"modified":"2010-10-17T19:22:16","modified_gmt":"2010-10-17T19:22:16","slug":"ars-longa-no-longer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2010\/10\/ars-longa-no-longer.html","title":{"rendered":"Ars Longa—No Longer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Duke<\/a><\/form>\n

<\/p>\n

The following is a lecture delivered in beautiful Colorado Springs to the Ad Lib Society, a group of Christian artists from the Midwest and West.  Thanks to Dr. Richard Terrell and all for a wonderful weekend and good hospitality. <\/p>\n

ARS
\nLONGA… NO LONGER<\/span><\/p>\n

                  <\/span>BEN WITHERINGTON<\/span><\/p>\n

PARALLEL
\nUNIVERSES?<\/span><\/p>\n

In God’s
\nKingdom….<\/span><\/p>\n

The architect is
\ngreater than the architecture<\/span><\/p>\n

The artist is
\ngreater than the art<\/span><\/p>\n

The singer is
\ngreater than the song<\/span><\/p>\n

The playwright
\nis greater than the play<\/span><\/p>\n

The poet is
\ngreater than the poetry<\/span><\/p>\n

The person is
\ngreater than the persona<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality is
\ngreater than the dream<\/span><\/p>\n

And being is
\nmore than doing……<\/span><\/p>\n

For all persons
\ncreated and redeemed in God’s image<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But in this
\nworld….<\/span><\/p>\n

The beauty is
\nmade by the buzz <\/span><\/p>\n

The star is
\neclipsed by the light<\/span><\/p>\n

The manuscript
\noutlasts the man<\/span><\/p>\n

The hit is made
\nby the hype<\/span><\/p>\n

The race is
\nrigged by the ride<\/span><\/p>\n

The persona
\nisn’t even the person<\/span><\/p>\n

The home run
\nhero is juiced<\/span><\/p>\n

The idol has his
\ntwo minutes of fame<\/span><\/p>\n

The politician
\nis made by the PACS<\/span><\/p>\n

And image is everything……….
\neven if it is an imitation<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

“For what does
\nit profit a person if he gains the whole world and loses his soul”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Richard
\nasked me to talk with you about how we can apply Biblical perspectives to our
\nwork as artists. I have given that some considerable thought and concluded that
\nwe need to go back to first principles, and here is why—- In an age of
\nserious economic downturn where the arts have become an endangered species, not
\nmerely in public education but also with the withdrawal of patronage for the
\narts by churches, charitable organizations, governments, and even
\nphilanthropists, it is necessary that we go back to first principles, and
\nrethink all over again how we should view the arts from a Christian theological
\npoint of view.  <\/span>So I will start with some
\nfirst principles before I talk about art as culture-making. The most important
\nthing to say about art is that God is an artist and a patron of the arts, and
\nthat we are created in his image which in part means we share in that capacity
\nfor chosen creativity.<\/span><\/p>\n

GOD AS AN ARTIST AND A
\nPATRON OF THE ARTS <\/span><\/p>\n

The
\nfirst thing to be said is that God is the consummate artist.  <\/span>We can see this just by looking at the
\nstunning beauty of creation in a place like this (Colorado Springs), but as it
\nturns out God is not just a ‘visual’ artist, God is both an inspirer of, but
\nalso a composer, of music, as Robert Banks points out.[1]<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup><\/a>   <\/span>So for instance God tells the Israelite
\nleaders in Deut. 31.19 “write down this song and teach it to the Israelites,
\nand have them sing it.”  <\/span>In fact there is
\na direct connection made between God giving verbal wisdom to someone and God
\ninspiring song in 1 Kngs. 4. 32–“God gave Solomon wisdom…he spoke 3,000
\nproverbs and his songs numbered 1,005.” 
\n<\/span>The precise number of the latter suggests someone took a specific count
\nof the number of times the King was inspired and given lyrics this way.<\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span>God however is not just a heavenly source of inspiration.
\nGod is a blues singer. Thus in Jeremiah we hear ‘Therefore I wail over Moab…my
\nheart laments for Moab like a flute…” (Jerm. 48.31-36), but he also sings
\njoyful anthems and ballads “The Lord your God is with you…he will quiet you
\nwith his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.’ (Zephan.3.14,17).  <\/span>God doesn’t just sing morning music however,
\nhe also sings night music–“By the day the Lord directs his love, and at night
\nhis song is with me…” (Ps. 42.8).  <\/span>No
\nwonder the natural response to God, is music of all sorts, for God is not
\nmerely the inspirer of all sorts of music, God embodies and shares all sorts of
\nmusic.  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Banks puts it
\nthis way:  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Just as love is
\nnot only directed to or expressed by God, since God, as the apostle John says,
\nis love, so is God  <\/span>not only the one who
\ninspires and enjoys music, but also is <\/i>music
\nand song.  <\/span>This makes God the supreme
\nexemplar, as well as the supreme author and audience, of music. This makes God
\nmusic’s chief patron, which is why making music ‘to the glory of God’ is so
\nfitting.  <\/span>It is only giving back to what
\nGod has given in the first place.  <\/span>It is
\nonly recognizing that the musical dimension of life, like the orderly character
\nof the universe, ultimately stems from the musical character of God.  <\/span>In the end we make music not simply because
\nGod gives us the capacity to do so or appreciates our making it, but because
\nGod is inherently musical.[2]<\/span><\/sup><\/span><\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

One
\nof  <\/span>the great problems for artists here is
\nthat America is a very pragmatic culture. 
\n<\/span>Many Americans believe that if something doesn’t serve some obvious
\nutilitarian purpose, or is practical, then it should be seen as superfluous at
\na minimum, and certainly optional.  <\/span>That
\nsort of practical bent can be seen in some of our famous American
\nquotations.  <\/span>Thomas Edison is credited
\nwith once saying that ‘genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine
\npercent perspiration’.  <\/span>Or consider the
\nwords of Colleen C. Barrett who argues ‘when it comes to getting things done,
\nwe need fewer architects and more bricklayers.’ 
\n<\/span>Without disparaging either of these persons, or the profession of
\nbricklaying, I would suggest that some of the most important work anyone could
\ndo is work that moves one to be a better person, inspires one to think about
\nthe relationship of truth and beauty and goodness,  <\/span>motivates one to do a better job of glorifying
\nGod.  <\/span>And art fills the bill in all of
\nthose categories.<\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nis an old Latin aphorism— ‘art is long, life short’.  <\/span>Rembrandt may be long since gathering dust in
\nhis grave, but his enormous painting of the Prodigal Son is alive and well on a
\ngigantic wall in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.  <\/span>I know because I have spent some hours
\nsitting in front of this gigantic painting contemplating its meaning, point of
\nview, nuances.  <\/span>Rembrandt’s art lives on
\nand continues to speak for him and to us. 
\n<\/span>Great art, like great architecture, continues to inspire and motivate us
\nto be creative, which, after all, was part of the prime mandate God gave Adam
\nin the first place.   <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately
\nin a workaholic culture that places an inordinate stress on math and the
\nsciences to the considerable neglect of the arts, art is seen as an added
\nextra, it is seen as not having a practical
\n<\/i>function.   <\/span>Painting for example is
\nnot seen as a real profession, unless one is painting the walls of one’s
\nhouse!   <\/span>Colleen Barrett in the quote
\nabove expresses something of this attitude, as does Thomas Edison.  <\/span>They fail to notice that without vision the
\npeople perish, their souls shrivel up.  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Human
\nbeings created in the image of God were called to be creators, makers,
\nartisans, not merely doers of just any task that someone is prepared to
\nremunerate.  <\/span>I would remind you that the
\nso-called oldest paid profession on earth which has always made lots of money
\nis prostitution!  <\/span>It does not follow from
\nthat, that in the pursuit of the Almighty dollar it would be a wise thing to
\nprostitute ourselves, or sell our birthrights for a bowl of soup.  <\/span>We are created in the image of God the
\nultimately creative one.  <\/span>The question
\nis— what should we do about it? <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nwas not always the case in America that arts and languages (the vehicles to
\nother cultures) were treated as non-essential when it comes to basic
\neducation.   <\/span>I began playing in an
\norchestra in the third grade, took Spanish in elementary school and Latin in
\njunior high, and we all learned the arts along the way.  <\/span>Not so much any more.  <\/span>We now have schools called math and science
\nhigh schools, as if other subjects were so clearly of less importance!  <\/span>And indeed the whole attitude of the culture
\nhas been changed from our being truth seekers to being job seekers.  <\/span>In interview after interview college freshman
\nexplain that they are taking this or that course, this or that major so “I can
\nget a good paying job when I get out”. 
\n<\/span>The cost of such pragmatism is that one is in danger of gaining the
\nwhole world and losing one’s soul in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

I
\nlove to go to the Lands of the Bible and look at some of the magnificent
\ncreations wrought in earlier ages.  <\/span>Some
\nof the immaculately wrought sculptures of Praxiteles for example always move
\nme.  <\/span>I ask myself–how have we lost so
\nmany of these incredible skills in the arts over the ages?   <\/span>Who could produce Michelangelo’s Pietas
\ntoday?   <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes
\nwhen I worry about the lose of artisan skills and artistic contributions to our
\nworld,  <\/span>I take comfort when I read the
\nstory of Bezalel and Oholiab   <\/span>If you’ve
\nnever heard these names before it is perhaps because no one has pointed out to
\nyou that being an artist or artisan is a Biblical calling or vocation.  <\/span>Consider then Exodus 31.1-5:<\/span><\/p>\n

 1<\/sup> Then
\nthe LORD said to Moses, 2<\/sup> “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of
\nUri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3<\/sup> and I have filled him
\nwith the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of
\ncrafts- 4<\/sup> to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and
\nbronze, 5<\/sup> to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in
\nall kinds of craftsmanship. 6<\/sup> Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son
\nof Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all
\nthe craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: 7<\/sup> the Tent of
\nMeeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the
\nother furnishings of the tent- 8<\/sup> the table and its articles, the
\npure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, 9<\/sup>
\nthe altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- 10<\/sup>
\nand also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and
\nthe garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11<\/sup> and the
\nanointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them
\njust as I commanded you.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Bezalel
\nwas called to the vocation of being an artist and an artisan, and notice how
\nGod equipped him.  <\/span>He filled him with his
\nspirit, which gave him not just ability but intelligence and not just
\nintelligence but the knowledge he needed, and not just knowledge but “all
\ncraftsmanship”.   <\/span>His vocation is
\ndescribed as follows— “to device artistic designs, working in gold, silver,
\nand bronze as well as in precious stones, and in carving wood, and if that were
\nnot enough, “to work in every craft”. 
\n<\/span>This is one multi-talented artist and artisan, a Michelangelo of his
\nday.  <\/span>But Bezalel was not called to use
\nhis craft and knowledge for just any task, he was assigned to make the tent of
\nmeeting, the ark of Testimony including the mercy seat or atonement cover, and
\nall other furnishing of the tent of meeting–the gold lampstand, the incense
\naltar, the basin, all the utensils, not to mention the woven garments to be
\nworn by the priests, including Aaron and his sons. Oh yes, he was also to
\nproduce the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the tent as well.   <\/span>After this last work order I am imagining
\nBezalel saying “holy smokes!”.   <\/span>His was
\nthe honor of constructing and furnishing the dwelling place of God, and notice
\nthat he was not encouraged to use cheap materials, or to go out and buy a
\ntrailer made out of pressboard and use it as a tabernacle.  <\/span>No, he was called to use the most precious
\nmetals and materials, in order to honor God. <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nis very interesting, as Gene Veith points out that Bezalel is the very first
\nperson in the Bible to be said to be filled with God’s Spirit.  <\/span>We are being told that he is inspired,
\nenlightened, enabled to be an artist! 
\n<\/span>This brings up an important point. 
\n<\/span>Sometimes Christians, especially frugal ones, think that the creating of
\nelaborate, beautiful works of art, worth lots of money, is itself either a
\nwaste of money, or at least not good stewardship, if it is not simply sinful
\naltogether.  <\/span>What this story suggests is
\njust the opposite. The believer should give their very best to God, and indeed
\nit is not a sin to construct beautiful art objects or a beautiful building to
\nthe glory of God, which is precisely what is going on in this story.  <\/span>The story of work begins with a gardener
\nnamed Adam, but the first ‘inspired’ worker in the Bible is an artist and
\nartisan, and we would do well to ponder the implications of that fact.  <\/span>Perhaps creativity, including the arts is the
\nquintessential way the image of God can mirror the Creator God himself? <\/span><\/p>\n

Friedrich
\nSchiller, the great German poet, once said that the path to freedom lies
\nthrough beauty.  <\/span>It must be said that
\nthere is some connection between beauty and freedom.  <\/span>I was in the Norman Rockwell museum recently
\nin Rutland Vermont and one of his most famous paintings was hanging on the left
\nhand wall.  <\/span>It is a painting of the
\nentrance way of a large Gothic cathedral in some major American city, perhaps
\nRockwell’s home town, New York.  <\/span>One of
\nthe workers in the cathedral is standing on a ladder and changing the sign that
\nhovers over the entrance way doors, announcing this week’s sermon.  <\/span>The sermon title is “Lift up your Eyes”.  <\/span>But on the street below, are the commuters,
\nall heads down, scurrying towards their morning jobs.  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What
\na great parable of a workaholic culture, without the time or sense to look up,
\nand see the beauty of things that God and his creatures have made.  <\/span>I cannot speak for others, but good art does
\nraise my vision of what the world is and can be.  <\/span>It gives me hope that human beings can live
\nby the better angels of their natures, and not by the demons that drive them,
\nif they will but be transformed by grace. 
\n<\/span>Perhaps by catching a glimpse in art of something better, something
\nbigger than they had yet contemplated aesthetics can have an ethical effect on
\nus.  <\/span>And in at least one sense Schiller
\nwas right— by being transfixed by the beauty of Christ, we are transfigured,
\nand set free.  <\/span>Paul puts it this way—
\n“And we all, who with unveiled face contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being
\ntransformed into his image with every increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3.18).  <\/span>When we lift up our eyes, and behold true
\nbeauty, then in some sense we become what we admire, we become works of the
\ngreat artisan, the great sculptor of human personality–Christ.  <\/span>And if the Son has set you free to be a work
\nof art, to be your best self, you are free indeed.   <\/span> <\/span>Beauty, truth, love, goodness creativity were
\nall meant to be, and to be seen together. 
\n<\/span>That is God has placed within us all, as being created in God’s image,
\nan aesthetic sensibility.  <\/span>And by this I
\ndon’t mean just the capacity to be creative as God is creative, I mean the
\nability to revel and rejoice in that which goes well above and beyond the utilitarian,
\nthe absolutely necessary for bare existence. 
\n<\/span>Indeed, I would say that just a close examination of God’s creation
\nitself inspires an non-utilitarian vision of what is really important in life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consider
\nfor example, the extraordinary beauty of many different species of butterflies.
\nDid you ever ask yourself the question, why all this riot of color and
\npatterns?  <\/span>It isn’t simply because this
\nhelps a butterfly attract a mate. 
\n<\/span>Butterflies do not see in color for a start. Yes the patterns do help
\nattract the attention of the mate, but not the color and particular
\nconfiguration of the colors. In fact, many butterflies are like neon signs
\nattracting some of their natural predators. 
\n<\/span>This is hardly a matter of adapting in order to merely survive.  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Did
\nit ever occur to you that God created this beauty in the world perhaps
\nespecially for those creatures most capable of appreciating that beauty—  <\/span>namely us? 
\n<\/span>In other words, the very way God made various aspects of creation not
\nmerely inspires creativity, but suggests that God wants us to lift up our eyes
\nabove and beyond the necessary and the utilitarian to gain a glimpse of the
\nbeatific vision in and through nature— a glimpse of the beauty of God
\nhimself.  <\/span>Could it be that the arts
\nperhaps more than any other vocation have an essential role to play in leading
\npeople to see and know God, and without that role, worship, teaching, theology,
\nethics become impoverished?  <\/span>I think this
\nis true.   <\/span>TELL THE STORY OF HANDEL AND
\nTHE CREATION OF MESSIAH. Could it be that God longs for the day where the phrase,
\n‘starving artist’ becomes an complete oxymoron, because the work of the arts is
\nseen as an essential part not merely of being human or being spiritual, but of
\nbeing Christian, in specific. <\/span><\/p>\n

It
\nneeds to also be said at this juncture, if one is a Christian, one cannot see
\none’s art as merely an exercise in self-expression, or an exercise in pure
\nnarcissism.  <\/span>One has to see one’s art as
\npart of a ministry that God has gifted and called one to do, and by this I do
\nnot mean something manipulative. For example, I do not by this mean that the
\narts must in some narrow sense serve specifically didactic evangelistic
\npurposes.  <\/span>I am not suggesting that art
\nexists purely for propaganda’s sake, any more than I think we as Christians
\ncould support the trite slogan— art for art’s sake. I would say we should
\ntalk about art for Christ’s sake, art for love’s sake, art for joy’s sake, art
\nfor inspiration’s sake, and so on.   <\/span>And
\nthis brings us to the discussion of art as culture making.<\/span><\/p>\n

ART AS CULTURE MAKING<\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span>Art at its best never merely recycles culture (e.g think
\nof Andy Warhol’s picture of a soup can), nor does it merely imitate culture
\nthat already exists, nor does it merely critique culture, it creates culture.   <\/span>For one thing it creates a fresh way of
\nviewing important things.   <\/span>Think again
\nfor a moment of the famous Rockwell painting ‘Lift up Your Eyes’.  <\/span>Secondly, art creates culture when it peals
\naway the fa\u00e7ade of false culture making, and helps us see the truth about
\nreality as it is.  <\/span>I am thinking for
\nexample of the famous Picasso painting ‘Guernica’ if you know the story of what
\nhappened in that horrible war situation. 
\n<\/span>Art can serve as a reminder that we have and should exercise our
\nconsciences.   <\/span>One of the things Andy
\nCrouch is calling us to in his book on culture making,  <\/span>is to recognize that Christians need to not
\nmerely network and encourage one another to be creative, but rather should
\nco-operatively create a community that provides and ethos, a support network, a
\ncontext, where actual culture-making is possible.  <\/span>Two examples will have to serve. <\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span>I was born in raised in the middle of North Carolina,
\nwhich is to say, the heart of red clay territory, which clay serves not only
\nthe utilitarian function of providing us with red bricks, but also it is the
\nterritory which has a huge pottery and ceramics industry. There is even a town
\nnamed Jugtown in the heart of this region which involves places like Seagrove
\nand Why Not N.C.  <\/span>Now the thing that has repeatedly
\nstruck me about this whole area and its pottery industry is that while there
\nare some 50 or more working kilns and potters in the region, the main ones are
\nall related—- they are part of the Owen family, and it is a family business,
\nand when it’s not the Owen family, it a community of people who lived as their
\nneighbors and work alongside, and sometimes with them.  <\/span>Yes, there is some competition going on, but
\nthere is also community, and the results are spectacular, especially when it
\ncomes to the saltpeter glaze pottery. 
\n<\/span>What makes this artistic colony interesting is that it is based in the
\nland (requires a certain sort of clay), and grounded in a community of shared
\nideas, techniques, skills, and the like. 
\n<\/span>These artists do not act in isolation, they are part of a larger ethos,
\nand you can see how cross fertilization works in these cases.  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span>Also from the middle of North Carolina is Ben Long (from
\nStatesville).  <\/span>Ben is a remarkably
\ntalented fresco painter in the style of the Italian renaissance.  <\/span>His work graces lots of churches and banks
\nand other sorts of buildings from the mountains through the Piedmont of
\nN.C.  <\/span>Ben went to Italy to study with
\nsome of the last real fresco masters, as it is a dying art, and he brought this
\nback to North Carolina, where, not coincidentally, there is just the right sort
\nof soil to make the perfect plaster for frescoing.  <\/span>Ben not only brought the technique back with
\nhim, he brought the notion of apprenticing people, and so he has developed a
\nhuge cadre of younger artists, now trained in the delicate (and fast) art of
\nfresco painting.  <\/span>My favorite examples of
\nBen Long’s work are in Charlotte and in Montreat.  <\/span>At the latter site we have a college chapel
\nwith a remarkable fresco of the prodigal son returning home. Ben conceived of
\nthe painting as depicting the whole story, so incongruously you have pigs
\nhanging out in the front yard of a Jewish household to remind us of what the
\nprodigal had left behind.  <\/span>But the most
\nspectacular example of all is his triptych 
\n<\/span>of the death, resurrection and Pentecost scenes all juxtaposed over the
\nhigh altar in St. Peter’s Catholic Church. 
\n<\/span>Sadly, nearby recent construction caused part of this fresco to crack
\nand fall down, and it cannot be regenerated. 
\n<\/span>What is interesting about this last example, is that Ben Long has
\nenjoyed the patronage of several churches, which gives you hope that the church
\nmight regain its role as patron of the arts. <\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span>The lessons we learn from such examples is that :1)
\ncommunity is important to the thriving of the arts and the possibility of
\nconsiderable culture impact, and 2) that art that ministers to the higher and
\nbetter instincts, the better angels of our nature, has a chance to have a more
\nlasting impact.  <\/span>If art is something we
\ncan do because we are created in God’s image, then art should never be seen as
\nself-indulgence, or mere self-expression, but rather something done as a
\nministry to other and to the glory of God. And 3) art that is literally
\ngrounded in a particular place, drawing materials from a particular place and
\nin a particular context which has a specific ethos, has a chance to develop in
\ninteresting ways over time and cross fertilize, unlike the infamous isolated
\nindividualistic starving artist.  <\/span>I will
\nleave you with one more poem…..<\/span><\/p>\n

   <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

SOMETHING DEEP INSIDE<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between living and dead<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between heart and head<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between flesh and blood<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between soul and spirit,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between thought and action<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between image and reflection<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between act and being<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between sight and seeing,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between silence and speech<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between grasp and reach<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between alone and lonely<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between singular and only,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between begotten and made<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between art and artifice<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between lost and mislaid<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between offering and sacrifice,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between parent and child<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between Father and Son<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between many and one<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between finished and done,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between union and communion<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between friendship and family<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between sister and brother<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between One and the other,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between loosed and bound<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>   <\/span> <\/span>Between circular and round<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between labyrinth and maze<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between fog and haze,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Something deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between Spirit and spirit<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between breath and life<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between time and eternity<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Between image and identity,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>    <\/span>Someone deep inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>Between appearing and being<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>Between thought and meaning<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>Between revery and reverence<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>Between wholeness and holiness,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>   <\/span>Worship deep inside.                       <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>          <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>  <\/span>          <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

                        <\/span>        <\/span>                            <\/span> <\/span>                                                                                                                       <\/span>                                    <\/span> <\/span>           <\/span>            <\/span> <\/span>                                                                       <\/span> <\/span>           <\/span> <\/span>           <\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>  <\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
\n

[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> R.
\nBanks, God the Worker, <\/u> <\/span>(Eugene:
\nWipf and Stock, 1992 rpr.), p. 31.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>
\nBanks, God the Worker, <\/u>pp. 42-43.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is a lecture delivered in beautiful Colorado Springs to the Ad Lib Society, a group of Christian artists from the Midwest and West.  Thanks to Dr. Richard Terrell and all for a wonderful weekend and good hospitality. ARS LONGA… NO LONGER                   BEN WITHERINGTON PARALLEL UNIVERSES? In God’s Kingdom…. The architect is greater…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nArs Longa-No Longer - The Bible and Culture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2010\/10\/ars-longa-no-longer.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ars Longa-No Longer - The Bible and Culture\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following is a lecture delivered in beautiful Colorado Springs to the Ad Lib Society, a group of Christian artists from the Midwest and West.  Thanks to Dr. Richard Terrell and all for a wonderful weekend and good hospitality. 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He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website. Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/author\/bwitherington"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}