There’s a thought that’s been nagging at me for some time now, and that is this: It is important to remind ourselves that there is an aspect of being an artist that goes beyond simply giving answers to people. The artistic voice is a prophetic one, or at least it was meant to be, in that its purpose is to communicate Truth and Beauty, even in – and maybe especially in – circumstances that are adverse or antagonistic to them.
A fallacy that artists and prophets can far too easily buy into is that, because we are the communicators of Truth and Beauty in our culture, we are also the authority on Truth and Beauty. That is far from the case, and it’s a dangerous mistake, because it leads to the incorrect assumption that, contained in our brains, so wonderful and so finite, are all the answers the world needs.
This is a fatal error for an artist because it results in the artist ceasing to recognize that there is much more out there than he or she already knows, which leads to a gradual failure to explore beyond the answers already accumulated, which ultimately leads to a loss of wonder.
It is wonder, this sense that there is a world bigger than we know, that makes artistry worthwhile as a continuous pursuit. It takes humility to admit that there are things we don’t yet understand. But those who believe they already have all the answers and who approach their art from that standpoint end up missing so much. They miss all the wonder and awe that is essential to their craft. The calling of creative artists is to explore the mystery and to communicate it, unencumbered by over-simplified answers, to a world that has lost its wonder.
The same is true of us as believers as we explore the Source of that mystery. We must not get so focused on the aspects of God we do understand that we fail to worship the aspects we don’t. I must allow all of God to live inside of me – both the parts that I understand as well as the parts that remain a mystery. All of these aspects are Truth and Beauty, whether I understand them or not.
It is either all or none. It is either an invitation to the God of both revelation and mystery to make His home in me, His handiwork, or it is to rely on my own limited understanding and create a god of my own choosing, a god who is my handiwork. Since the very essence of God will not – cannot – be limited by my finite understanding, the latter is really not an option worth considering.
The depth of our faith and artistry is determined by how we relate and respond to Truth and Beauty – both that which is known and that which is unknown. So take a moment to thank God for mystery – that which you do not yet understand – and let’s go exploring.
All my best,
Shun Lee
Actor & Writer
Director
Hollywood Connect
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