You’ve been told the Bible was a white man’s book. You’ve seen the images — pale-skinned angels, a European Jesus, blonde-haired apostles. Church walls lined with Renaissance art have shaped a quiet but powerful assumption over time, that holiness somehow…
Music and art can save the world, if we let them
dI was in the kitchen doing dishes when the sound stopped me. Froze me in place. I went to the living room to check it out. I knew the face and the voice but not the song. So of course,…
A new year of being light and love
The message of stars — so far away, or are they? Stars draw us to the light in dark days, especially now. Exchanging letters, cards and words of hope means more than ever. I’d like to share some creative thoughts…
AWAB lecture explores art’s role in gender, sexuality and spirituality
The visual arts can connect gender, sexuality and spirituality and reshape attitudes about LGBTQ life and religion, scholar Justin Sabia-Tanis said during a lecture presented by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. “And this can in turn offer us…
Storytelling as creative resistance
I have no doubt that the daily drama of American crises is causing a lot of art to be created — and viewed. “Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for…
Knitting Faiths Together: Using Art And Yarn To Grow Dialogue Between Religions
xploring interfaith dialogue using knitting is the surprising theme of a new touring event taking place around the United Kingdom.
In times of fear, this is what artists do
In an article about the recently completed St. John’s Bible — the first handwritten and illuminated Bible produced by the Benedictine Order in more than 500 years — Duke University professor Ellen F. Davis asks, “When is beauty a moral…
God’s art gallery
Carol and I went to the Museum of Modern Art last Friday night, when it stays open until 8:30. When we decided to go, we did not know Friday nights are free for New York residents. The line was longer…
How do you create art out of suffering?
In 1992, artist Nick Cave was devastated by the police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. As a young Black man, Cave knew the dangerous injustices of racial profiling and then, like the rest of America, viewed King’s beating…
Circles of joy
There’s always a story behind designing a holiday card. For me, it’s a spiritual experience in itself, and I anticipate learning about Christmas and the beauty of the season with a fresh vision from God. Looking back, every year I’ve…
A new vision of Mary Magdalene and Jesus by Kelly Latimore
I awoke Easter Sunday morning to the following quote on X from Jacqui Lewis: “The first resurrection was proclaimed by women, and the church repaid them with centuries of lies that God didn’t want us to preach. For Jesus’ movement…
Creating inner peace
Last week I heard “therapy” mentioned on Zoom meetings, but not for the usual life dilemmas. The reason was generalized anxiety, a lack of inner peace. “I just need to learn new skills to live in this chaotic world now,”…