Dartkness and Lieght
- Marcus King (Guest Writer)
- Jan 4, 2016
- 3 min read
“Good, not evil, is the strongest force. It is the light and not the darkness which has the power to blind – both to give vision and take it away.”
I went to an arts show (in fact, I went to a lot of arts shows). While sitting in my seat listening to each piece, I noticed an interesting thing. As an artist, we are encouraged to explore the deepest recesses of our souls, to discover things that we would not have normally found in a busy world. We get in tune with our emotions, draw from our experiences, and be one with the universe, leaving us with a deep sense of spirituality that we express to anyone within earshot. “The closest thing to being divine is creating,” a fellow artist preaches.
Creating is inevitable – everyone does it – but it is not always easily recognized. There are two types of creators: those who make new things, and those who use old things in new ways. An inventor is a creator, discovery plus application equals creativity. The same notes make different songs. The same moves make different dances. We take the same 26 letters of our alphabet, make the same words (unless you are in the league of Dr. Seuss, Lewis Carroll or Roald Dahl) and string them together to make new ideas. In fact, where do ideas come from?
But in this world of creativity, God was not arbitrary. He gave us this power so that we can give Him, His glory. If you’re familiar with the story (and even if you aren’t, take a look around), you’ll quickly notice that something went wrong. Our hands have messed up God’s creation. Our efforts are at best selfish. And God’s glory is lost somewhere between the idea and the application. (See Romans 1:18-31, 3:10-20; Jeremiah 17:1,9). There is a deeper issue to this corruption – the interesting discovery.
Most art that I see today is dartkness and lieght (not a typo, bear with me making up words). When artists draw from the well of inspiration, what is produced is often depressing, confusing, dirty and inglorious. And the darker it is, the more it is praised as good. As Nietzsche said, when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you.
On the flip side, I see art that ignores the problem and only focusses on the clean spots of the life to come. Yes, it is hopeful. Yes, it is clean. Yes, it is glorious. But at the same time, it is also myopic and telescopic. Seldom does it point to the cross – the bridge between the abyss and the glory – and when we miss the point, we miss the mark.
I read That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis and realised that we don’t produce ideas, we are given ideas. We are the agents of good or evil in this world. That is why Jesus said things like “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45 NLT). Roots which are fed death, produce fruits of death; which are consumed by the world and the cycle continues.
This is why God’s creativity cannot be arbitrary. His glory isn’t just seen when we make art in His name, but when we make art to break the cycle of death. His glory is the light that causes the blind to see. We, the agents of change, are being used to defeat the god of this world. Therefore, our expressions cannot be simply cool and creative. Wordplay has little space in a war. As Trip Lee wrote, it’s all dark – all black everything.
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About The Blogger
Poet, blogger, author. Marcus King has found a joy in developing thoughts and ideas into works of art. His poetry, in particular, has been shared all over, from intimate house sessions and around campfires to large stages. Marcus has spent a year studying in Glasgow, Scotland, serving at the Sharpe Memorial Church of the Nazarene. He was also a featured writer in Glasgow Caldonian University’s magazine, The Edit, where his piece “If Walls Could Talk” was nominated for the Best Article of the Year.
Further Readings
Jeremiah 17
Luke 6
Romans 1 & 3
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