Bible, theology, culture, etc.
Does Art still matter today? In the vast tubes of the internet, I stumbled across this incredibly thought-provoking long-form essay, "Enter the Supersensorium: The Neuroscientific Case for Art in the Age of Netflix" by neuroscientist Erik Hoel. It is just over 7,000 words (about a 45-minute read), and wades into some dense neuroscientific jungles (gamma-aminobutyric … Continue reading Entertaining Ourselves to Death: The Supersensorium
Art, beauty, aesthetics--these do not provide much for us in the way of utility and functionality, at least if we are thinking of those terms in their strictest of definitions. And yet, God seems to have filled our world with an abundance of beauty. We are naturally drawn to create art, to order our world … Continue reading What’s the Point of Beauty?
Am I a stone, and not a sheep,That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,And yet not weep? Not so those women lovedWho with exceeding grief lamented Thee;Not so fallen Peter, weeping bitterly;Not so the thief was moved; Not so the Sun and MoonWhich hid their … Continue reading “Good Friday” by Christina Rossetti
Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back Guilty of dust and sin.But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in,Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, … Continue reading “Love (III)” by George Herbert
Art...is a wonderful gift from God. Just as the Lord Himself is not truth and holiness alone but also glory, and one who spreads the beauty of His name abroad over all His works, so it is He, too, who by His Spirit equips the artists with wisdom and understanding and knowledge in all manner … Continue reading Bavinck on the Gift of Art
This is a poem written by a good friend of mine, nearly four years ago. The poem speaks of the tension of the "already/not yet" aspect of our sanctification. We are already raised and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6) and our glorification is certain (Rom. 8:30) - but we still struggle … Continue reading Full Circle (Poem)
Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. I, like an usurped town, to another due, Labour to admit you, but Oh, to no end. Reason, … Continue reading “Holy Sonnet XIV” by John Donne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC5ey9_wWwQ In this video, John Piper reads a poem he wrote, based off the allegorical story of Pilgrim's Progress. Pilgrim, in this poem wrestles with one of the seven deadly sins, Sloth.
Marc Sims 