Art and culture and faith – what a broad topic. And it’s a beautiful topic! As Columban missionaries all of us get to leave our homes and go somewhere else to work, to in some way, share our sense of who Jesus Christ is for us and maybe for those people too. And I have to tell you without exaggeration that whether they mean to or not, they share so very much of their faith through their culture with us too.
It reminds me of a New Zealand Columban who was assigned to a small parish on the east coast of Korea in the 1970’s. Being freshly filled with the values of “inculturation” after the Vatican Council, he decided to have a tabernacle made in the style of a Korean Buddhist temple, very beautiful, colorful and “Korean.” The people were not happy! They saw it as equating Jesus with “Buddha.” He saw it as “Korean.” This is an example of where art can express more about a culture than we realize and can arouse deep feelings.
I’m recently back from a mission trip with six parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Fontana, California, to Guatemala. We went to the town of Livingston on the east coast where most of the people live outside the town in villages of indigenous Quechi-i people. They are very reserved and quiet. But in the church in town, we had Mass where the choir was all Garifuna people. They are descendants of escaped slaves who live along the Caribbean coast. Their language is mostly from their original African homeland. And their music was drums, rhythm, clapping, and dancing. I loved it. The difference is great, but the faith of both is also great.
Surely, Jesus could see her rainbow colors and know who she is, and at the same time was very joyful to have her dance with him.
A third example of art expressing faith is a simple but beautiful picture one of our LGBTQ parishioners painted and shared with the parish. In it are two large feet in sandals dancing, with a small girl dancing with her feet on top of those feet. She had a dream of dancing with Jesus, a beautiful dream. Anyone could have it. But she had the rainbow colors in her dress. Many people saw it and were very moved. Surely, Jesus could see her rainbow colors and know who she is, and at the same time was very joyful to have her dance with him. For people who often feel rejected and excluded by many the joy and lightness this picture expresses brings a smile to those who see it. Art expressing faith (and hope). “Jesus is happy to dance with me and I with him!”
Back at St. Mary’s parish our new church has an altar made from the 125-year-old trunk of a single walnut tree that had to be cut down to make room for it. The cross on which Jesus hangs is branches from that tree. The tabernacle is another tree from the land that had to be cleared. All are very beautifully formed by the hand of God and crafted into another use. The parish has no gold or silver or marble, but it has a sense of God offering to our first parents (and to us) the fruits of the “tree of life” in the middle of the garden of Eden. This is our home and we try to appreciate it as we care for it.