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ReVision

Link to Unseen Things

Christian art lifts us to heavenly realms.

The Mind of Christ in His World: Part 2 (6)

Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth…This was done three times. Acts 10.10, 11, 16

A mind for things above
There was one aspect of the vision of the Divine Artist concerning which there could be no mistake on Peter’s part. This thing was from heaven and went back to heaven. Thus, he must have concluded – at the very least – this thing has something to do with God and what He wants to see happen.

The great art of the Christian heritage has never lacked for means of connecting viewers, readers, or hearers with the heavenly realm. Indeed, much of the great art of that heritage is deliberately intended to equip and enable men to set their minds on the things that are above, where Christ is seated in the heavenly places at the right hand of God (Col. 3.1-3).

We think of the intricate and beautiful artwork of the Book of Kells, and its lavish and lovely depiction of Jesus exalted in glory and beauty. Hymns can lift us into the heavenly realms as well. I think especially of that rendering of Psalm 148, “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah!”, where the highest note in the hymn is fixed to the word, “glory.” Even C. S. Lewis’ marvelous story, The Great Divorce, can help us get our minds around the mysteries of heaven and their connection with the things of earth.

Just like the vision Peter saw, one cannot engage such art and not be immediately referred to transcendent truth.

Bringing heaven to earth
Additional examples abound of art deliberately crafted to bring heaven down to earth, and point earth-bound humans to the heavenly realms. This was one of the primary purposes of Gothic architecture, to expand the mind of worshippers into the majesty and mystery of the unseen realm. As Abbot Suger, the pioneer of Gothic architecture, explained in his detailed notes guiding the construction of the cathedral at St. Denis, every wall, door, window, beam, and buttress of a Gothic church witnesses to and calls the minds of worshipers to rise to the heavenly realms.

Earlier, Byzantine church murals had a similar purpose and effect, creating a sense of movement on the part of worshippers toward the throne of Christ. The somber, mysterious, and sometimes eerie chants of medieval monks were also designed to engage the heavenly realm through the medium of the ear. Monks were taught to breathe at different times while singing, so that there would be no cessation of the music, once the worship of God had begun, thus mirroring the continuous singing of saints and angels in heaven.

Or think of the many baroque churches and chapels with their painted ceilings that lift the worshiper out of the mundane realm into the heavenly places, into the very presence of the risen and exalted Christ Himself.

Celtic carved crosses are yet another example of art made to serve the purpose of establishing a tangible and dramatic link to the unseen realm. Erected late in the period of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD), these magnificent carved crosses encouraged worshippers to envision themselves in the very presence of Christ, and to preserve the images from those crosses in their minds.

Sanctuaries from the mundane
Of course, the sacraments of the Church, especially the Lord’s Supper, have the same effect, for the Supper enables us, through the elements of bread and wine, to participate directly in the risen Christ and to engage the unseen realm through an act of liturgical drama. As we commune with Christ, His body and blood, He makes His presence known to us from His throne in heaven, in a way more intense and personal than we normally experience, and we are reminded that, even as He is with us always, so we have been seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2.6).

Great Christian art can engage our minds for transcendence, can lift us out of our momentary experience and allow us to enter a realm of reality we do not normally know. As Peter observed the vision God sent him coming down and going back to heaven, he was lifted beyond the limits of his mundane thinking, and his previous theological convictions, into a new realm of possibilities, which he would only fully realize as he rose to act on what God showed him.

We should note that it was as Peter was beginning to experience hunger, that God brought this vision of “new cuisine” to his attention. Each of us has a hunger for the knowledge of God through aesthetic encounters. And God is in great art, especially great Christian art, ready to make Himself known.

Have you ever noticed how quiet it is in an art museum? Or at a symphony? Even in a library? People seem to know, almost intuitively, that such places are sanctuaries from the merely mundane. There they expect to encounter something larger than the merely everyday, and they prepare themselves and one another through silence. For in the silence, in the presence of great art, one may expect to pass beyond the veil into the unseen realm, and the presence of Christ in glory. And while we are here, the Spirit can work on our minds to renew them into the image of our Lord (2 Cor. 3.12-18).

For reflection
1.  Have you ever experienced what you would describe as a moment of transcendence, either before a work of Christian art, or during a service of worship, or the Lord’s Supper? What did you experience at that moment? How did this affect the way you think about your life?

2.  Meditate on Hebrews 12.1. In what sense are we in the presence of saints and angels? Should we expect to experience this in some ways? Explain.

3.  What does it mean to set your mind on the things that are above (Col. 3.1-3)? Do you think Christian art could help you in doing so? Explain.

Next steps – Conversation: Talk with some Christian friends about any experiences of transcendence – of connecting personally and intimately with unseen things – they may have had. How did this affect their understanding of the life of faith? Of what it means to follow Jesus.

T. M. Moore

This is part 7 of a multi-part series on the Christian mind. To download this week’s study as a free PDF, click here. To learn more about creational theology, order a copy of T. M.’s book, Consider the Lilies (click here).

Brush up on your Christian worldview, and stretch your mind to think about life and the world as Jesus does. Our free online course,
One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, can provide the categories, terms, and framework for you to begin nurturing a more expansive Christian mind. For more information and to register, click here.

How’s your knowledge of the Bible, as to its primary themes, overall development, and Christ-centeredness? Order a copy of our workbook,
God’s Covenant, and spend 13 glorious weeks working your way through the whole of Scripture, examining key themes and tracing the development of God’s precious and very great promises (click here). Or sign up for our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, and discover the best ways of getting at, getting into, and getting with the Word of God. The course is free and online, and you can study at your own pace and depth. For more information or to register, click here.
The Lord uses your prayers and gifts to help us in this ministry. Add us to your regular prayer list, and seek the Lord concerning whether He would have you share with us. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the contribute buttonat the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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