Is There No Truth In Beauty?

 If anyone clicked on this title expecting me to be writing about an episode of Star Trek, you’ll be disappointed.  While I am indeed a Trek fan (Trekkie? Trekker?), and I do enjoy the particular episode which shares this title, that’s not what this is about.

The phrase is from a poem by George Herbert called Jordan I.  It’s basically a poem about poetry, asking why poems need to focus only on fantasy/fiction, and why we can’t also find beauty in the real/true aspects of life.  Good question?

I recently thought about this line while listening to an address from Steve Taylor.  The often controversial musician and film maker is now a college professor, believe it or not, teaching film studies.  His address was a challenge for artists of all kinds (musicians, painters, writers, etc) to not be afraid to make art that challenges, to address the “real life” struggles we all face with honesty, to pursue truth.  It was in many ways a critique of much Christian artistry which looks at the world with those famous rose colored glasses, and never really gets down to the nitty gritty reality of life.

I appreciate what he was saying.  I even agree with it, for the most part.  However, I had one little quibble with an illustration he used.  He compares Thomas Kinkade with Pablo Picasso.  Strange comparison, but hang in there for a second.

He shows us a Kinkade painting, a church scene with all the artist’s typical light and color and brightness.  He looks at the painting, and after stating that Kinkade claims to paint for the glory of God, he asks, “But does this really glorify God?  I would say no, it doesn’t.  Because it’s a lie.”  He laughs at the purple trees, and the brightness of the light in the church windows which could only be possible if the sanctuary was on fire, and the lack of a path to the church which means the only way you could get there was to parachute in.  Likewise, the light and color are all lies because life isn’t like that, Taylor says.  So it’s not true, therefore not glorifying to God.

Switch to the Picasso.  This is the artist’s well known anti-war painting called ‘Guernica’.  We are told that Picasso certainly never claimed to paint for God’s glory, but does this painting glorify God?  Taylor says yes, it does because it shows truth.  It represents the darkness and suffering of war and sin, the realities of life we all face.  This is true, so it glorifies God. 

I hear what Taylor is saying.  And I agree.  To a point.  Life is full of sin and suffering, and we should not deny that, ignore it, etc.  But Taylor applies the standard of truth differently in the two paintings.  In the first, he says it’s not true because it’s not literal in its depiction.  Whereas in the second, it’s true because of what it represents.  No one would argue that Picasso’s oddball renditions of people and animals are “true” in the sense of accurate depictions of those things.  It’s what they represent that we are called to observer.  Likewise, the Kinkade painting may have some inconsistencies with the way life really works, but we are supposed to be drawn to what it represents.  In spite of the darkness of life, there is light.  There is beauty. 

I would ask Herbert’s question slightly differently.  Is there no truth in beauty?  That is, can we not also find truth in the beautiful things of God’s world.  The psalmist often looks to the created order as a display of God’s glory.  To see the beauty of it and be in awe.  The apostle Paul tells us to set our minds on the things that are true AND beautiful.  Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (ESV)

So can’t we say that in Taylor’s example, both paintings bring glory to God?  Neither is an “accurate” portrait of the things they represent, and yet both accurately portray aspects of life in this world.  Suffering is real.  Light is real.  We can find truth in both. In fact, only by knowing the truth of the Light can we even deal with the truth of the darkness around us.

I’ve been a fan of Steve Taylor since I discovered his music in the 80’s. I’ve always loved his ability to push the envelope and cause us to think; to get outside our comfort zones and deal with real life.  Yet, on this point I have to disagree.  There is truth in beauty.  Not to ignore or deny the “realities” of life, but to draw our attention the beauty of this world, even in its fallen state, is still glorifying to God. 

(Now for you Star Trek fans who know the plot line of the episode by this title, I would say that this means even Kollos could be said to be beautiful, and glorifying to God, in his own way. But that’s a whole different story)