Hey there blog.
I’ve been away for a while. Super busy, pretty tired, and frankly, haven’t felt much like putting a bunch of things out there in cyberspace. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like my life has been miserable. I just haven’t been in a “sharing” mood. I’m not sure I’m cut out for blogging.
Still, seems like there’s some things I’ve been pondering that might be worth trotting out to a bigger audience, and see if anything “sticks.”
Some of this stuff is somewhat theological, although I think it’s pretty “theology lite.” My apologies to my friends who know so much more. I hesitate to write due to the fact that I respect your work so much.
Some of this stuff is about art (naturally).
Mostly I’m just trying to work stuff out. I have had some good feedback from some people out there which has improved my thinking, and I’m hoping that might happen again.
Here are some questions I’m interested in dealing with:
What are the key differences between people of faith and people of no faith?
How do we come to balance the physical with the spiritual?
What role does logic play in faith? What role mystery?
Similarly, what role does logic and mystery play in making art?
What does it mean to pursue beauty?
Is it possible to not be self absorbed?
Why does every generation seem to think they are different than every preceeding generation?
All of thes questions are linked, somehow, in my mind. But it’s all a tangle and I can’t seem to figure out which thread to tug on to begin to unravel the mess. I’ll try to take some stabs at it this summer.
Oh, yeah, and another thing..I’m really more than a “both/and” than an “either/or” kinda person, so I’m not likely to have any definitive statements on any of these questions. Or, rather, I’m likely to contradict statements I thought were definitive. Sorry ahead of time for the confusion. I find truth in paradox.
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I commiserate. On most of the most.
That last paragraph explained a lot about you to me, and about me to me, too. I feel so validated! Do you feel validated?
I do feel validated, in a way. Validated in that you, and others, find truth in paradox (thank God for GK Chesterton!)
In other ways, I am just feeling tired, and inadequate to muse on such things. Or, more to the point, that the questions I pose may be unworthy.
Wow… ya know, I always felt like there was one heck of a conversation in you years ago in your grad school days, and I can see you’ve never stopped developing the many wandering lines of thought… change as they inevitably have…
Thanks for being a “both/and” rather than “either/or” – it’s something many many more people could afford to be.
I tend to chuckle at each of your questions – and one of my maxims for several years now has been, “we’re all right” (or wrong depending on one’s mood). This is because, as in your first question – faith versus no-faith – the person with faith is admired for the guts it takes to blindly follow and believe something that can’t be touched (though many claim to have touched). Conversely, having no faith pretty much means no need to have something waiting after the big unknown, what we can see and touch now is awesome enough for me – which some also see as blindly following with no profound purpose like getting to the promised land.
The constant battle of religions versus non-religious and physical (science) versus spiritual or metaphysics – are made up of two or more sides who are all right – and so, “both/and” is perfect – there is such beauty in both the physical, non-faith existence and the sometimes astounding courage the faithful have when following the wisps that are religion.
But why do we need to think we are right or to solve problems, to come down on one side or another? Won’t equilibrium even everything out? Interestingly (to me) sometimes in art, imbalance (visual) is often more balanced than symmetry and it’s usual corresponding balance… that’s why ugliness can be so beautiful and beauty so ugly or tragic. It’s why I gravitate to the gritty voice of Tom Waits or the sour appeal of Neil Young, but also towards the early Joan Baez voice or to Maria Callas. Why is self assurance and independence revered while the jack of all trades is seen as a wandering, lost soul, if also a romantic character?
I would have to ask whether we are antisocial by being individuals, something that ‘made’ or ‘broke’ one regularly only 25 years ago, and was near suicide only 50 years ago… and now to hear about the “quiver-full” movement where a woman effectively signs her rights over to her husband to essentially become a baby machine to increase the Christian flock. One conversation about this suggested that some women want to be led. And it’s true – whether by whips and chains or Christian mores – or both! OK – I suppose I should get my own room (blog)… but I find your pursuit compelling and can’t wait to see more of this material, and of course will go back and read more of your other ponderings…
Cheers!
AF
Hey AF- great to hear from you! And thanks for your thoughts. As I look back I am not really sure about the questions I post here- mainly in that I’m not sure they are valuable or even, at times valid. The ask of some of these questions creates certain dichotomies, and some of them may be false.
One of those dichotomies you have pointed to (rightly) as physical (science) v metaphysical (shall we say, spiritual? religious?). This is certainly a dichotomy that it supported in Western culture–(I recognize the limitations of using such a sweeping term)–today, and probably tracks back to the Enlightenment, but I think it is a false dichotomy (another both/and statement, I suppose). Here I would agree with you that both sides are both “right” and “wrong.” I would like to think, as you do, that equilibrium will balance these sides. I think it would on its own, but I’m concerned with our meddling (myself included).
I love this statement you made: “Interestingly (to me) sometimes in art, imbalance (visual) is often more balanced than symmetry and it’s usual corresponding balance… that’s why ugliness can be so beautiful and beauty so ugly or tragic.” Man, I think you hit that right on the head. Even in design theory, asymmetrical balance is generally held in higher regard than symmetrical balance. You need the tension.
Thanks for the reply to the reply – yeah, over the years, I’ve realized that dichotomy is fully ensconced with life, and it can seem paralyzing to a rational, thoughtful person. I think questions are always valuable that inspire mindfulness. What is valid? The vacuous chatter that makes the headlines? Curiosity validates all questions – at any level of education. The most brilliant people don’t get there without asking questions (even if internally).
I find it hard to decide what to believe when I know more than a few sides to many issues! Of course, some ideas are just plain creepy and I can easily, but mindfully, dismiss themt. Art has done so many things throughout history, from simply documenting history, to subverting it, to communicating physical and psychological and spiritual features of a time, to expressing the angst (or lack thereof) of an era, to simply conveying a personal message, to pushing technology out of laboratories… Too often the artists intent is attacked by an irrelevant critic – religion attacking secular art (like the whole book banning era), or the attacks on publicly funded art, generally from religious angles.
I think the dichotomy in art/faith is illustrated best by dualistic societies – usually the ‘west’. The segregation of the spiritual from our daily life is a bit bizarre as it creates the righteous entity that is religion and pits it against the quotidian, which includes art. We put aside Sunday to be absolved… well – some people do – and we pay and support churches to come across as good people, but during the week we’re free to rob banks and cheat people…
OK – my initial plan was to keep this short… but it’s very difficult as I enjoy so much this thought process and conversation – or, maybe I am self absorbed and just like to see my own words!! ? Take it easy!
Andrew