Music and Art are well known to carry some spiritual aspect for human beings. I am interested in specific experiences and thoughts on the matter. In particular, I’m hopeful someone might create a case-AT LAST!- for why music and art NEED to be part of a school curriculum.
REAL, DEEP reasons. Have at it……
I am a pastor. I began adult life as a musician – and one with very little spiritual awareness. But there would be these experiences on the concert stage, in the orchestra, where time would stand still. We would touch another world, another reality.
As I went through some spiritual awakenings, I would sometimes find this experience in worship gatherings. “Aha!” I thought, “This is not spiritual – I experienced it on the concert stage before I knew anything about spirituality.”
You see my foolishness? Years later, I now think I was experiencing spiritual reality in both places, unaware of its
pervasive presence in art and music – and in all of life.
As to school curriculum – American ed is under pressure to mass-make kids into productive economic units. I wonder if a first step is simply to re-assert that learning to make a living is only a small part of education’s – and life’s – challenge.
Nice blog – good questions – good feel – thanks!
Music and Art… I would add that Visual Art and Word Art is one and the same Art. Ways of expression differ between but that means nothing. Different styles of our handwritings depict just our outward shapes but not the essence of the humanity. However, let’s not forget the Bible. The word KILLS but the Spirit gives the life. While trying to put definitions, we put the gift of our freedom in a birdcage and the truth becomes just nice word constructions.
I hearty invite you to my blogs. You will have a good time there, and we will see what will happen in a result.
Many people of faith see God as Creator. Those of us who hold that the mission of faith includes setting us free to be more and more “in his image,” I would think, would come to see the strengthening of our creativity as renewal of our God-image – a return to what makes us truly human.
I find that when I am delighting in God, I delight in everything around me, and I am especially delighted by being a part of creating – or, at least, uncovering – beauty.
What an excellent question!