“Art mimics chance.” I thought this was a very interesting idea as I read it in a translated poem by Ovid found in the book, Paul Among the People by Sarah Ruden. Recognizing that one man’s understanding of chance is another man’s understanding of God’s creative sovereignty, I think there is truth in this statement. Art is man’s attempt to imitate or mimic the Creator God at work. Luann Purcell Jennings captures this in her article, “An Art-Full Church” where she writes that,
“God is an artist. When He created the world, He could have made it purely functional, but He never missed an opportunity to make it beautiful and surprising. Much of His revelation of Himself in Scripture is provided in narrative, song, poetry, parable, performance, and visual imagery. God is a creator, and we are created in His image (Gen. 1-2); we are his poiema or creative workmanship (Eph. 2:10). Therefore it is against our very nature to live unimaginative lives or to ignore creation’s beauty. The Scriptures instruct us to build, decorate, sing, play instruments and dance, and to do these things with excellence (see Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Being an artist is a high calling and a privilege.”
I doubt many of us view art or artistry as highly as we ought to in light of the God we seek to emulate. In fact, this is most likely due to an underestimation of the significance of image bearing. If taken to heart, the application of our status as image bearers ought to influence everything we do. By nature of being human, whether through work or play, poetry or scholarship, we are called to reflect the creativity and excellence of God.
