I stem from two lines of athletic, sports-celebrating families. Although they praised and encouraged academia, sports were still the most lauded on both sides. Having the athletic prowess of a llama, you can see how I felt like a duck out of water. Especially odd was my love for theatre and Shakespeare, watercolor and Wyeth, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen along with Beethoven and Chopin.
Now, before you feel sorry for me or start to sweat for the amount of awkward I probably displayed around my family, rest assured: they were wonderfully supportive of all of my artistic endeavors and I’ve had several cousins come after me who were much more interested in the arts than sports.
Why am I telling you this? My hope is that you would be encouraged to foster an appreciate for the arts in your children, regardless of whether or not they naturally pique your interest. Here are some benefits that each of the art forms give us:
Poetry allows us to search our souls, to ask ourselves what our emotional reactions are to outward circumstances or events. Painting with words, it alerts us to the beautiful depths of our feelings when redeemed and held under the gentle authority of Christ. It directs our attention to what lies below the surface. And this, not just for our own souls, but also gives us an eye for the inner thoughts of others.
Literature is the vehicle for us to walk in someone else’s shoes, to experience the perspective of someone else and to weigh it against the truth of the word of God. Thinking about what the narrator or character is saying in light of whether or not it is true exercises our heart and brain muscles to do this in our own lives. Exposure to various perspectives gives us greater sympathy and compassion for others.
Music seems to enter our souls and draw us into it. It can be a comforting balm or agitate us or arouse fear or anticipation. It can be a wonderful tool to engage our emotions in worship. Also, when I’m listening to an orchestra, I can’t help but reflect on how each instrument, like the body of Christ, works together to express a wonderful story and leaves us with heavenward thoughts.
The visual arts, such as photography, paintings and sculptures, force our attention to the littlest details and cause us to slow down and to focus. Simultaneously, we step back and see how each little stroke, pixel, angle or curve create a bigger, clearer picture. This reminds us that God is the Great Artist of earth and that all the little details that don’t seem to mean anything to us, make complete sense to Him and are done with purposeful precision.
The performing arts, dance and theatre, remind us that our lives are telling a story and that the LORD of all creation directs each line, each queue, each step and each pirouette to point to His glory and the greatest story of all, the gospel!
So be encouraged that each time you stumble through the words of a poem or attempt to point out the colors and the texture of the Mona Lisa or try to keep your eyes open during an opera recording, however imperfect, you are allowing your children to experience things that will expand their perspective and grow their character, however subtle.