Weird Art and the Glory of God

By Jason Comerford

This year at the men’s retreat, we all watched a film called Lars and the Real Girl. It’s an indie film from 2007 starring Ryan Gosling; IMDb summarizes it like this: “A delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.”

Suffice it to say, it’s one of the most awkward films I’ve ever watched, and it wasn’t initially high on my list of must-see movies. Despite that, it’s quickly rocketed to the top of my favorites. While sometimes painful to watch, the story told an uncomfortable tale of one man’s loneliness and how the grace and lovingkindness of one small town saved him from his delusions. Really, what makes this movie so wonderful is the tale of grace and redemption at the heart of it.

But more than that, I’m thrilled that instead of the typical relaxing movie we might have chosen to watch, nearly every single man at the retreat chose to stay and watch this weird, very awkward art house flick.

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God’s people have a long history of uncomfortable art being used to honor God and speak to His people.

Take for example the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 20. The Lord commands him to walk around naked and barefoot as a warning to Israel not to trust in the military might of their neighbors.

For another example, look at Ezekiel and his various one-man plays that he acted out in public. In Ezekiel 4, he built a tiny model of the city of Jerusalem and acted out various aspects of a tiny war against it.

We could also look to the ministry of Jeremiah, who was told time and again to speak to the people of Israel regarding their rebellion, sometimes using prophetic actions such as smashing pots.

All over the Bible, our invisible God seems really interested in attention-grabbing displays. Activities and images that just can’t be ignored—that defy easy categorization or flippant response. Things that demand answer and attention from us.

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I think it’s important to recognize that God sometimes uses strange and uncomfortable means to make sure His message is heard. In our culture, I think we’ve given ourselves over to a belief that movies and stories are here mainly to entertain us. Paintings, photographs, essays, and songs, all these get pushed aside when they offer anything other than a beautiful vista, an optimistic thought, or an entertaining laugh.

Instead, I think we should embrace something different. Art is here not mainly to entertain or inform, but to pierce our hearts. To take up the glories and horrors we’ve forgotten and with them stab us broad awake once more.

As a Christian, that’s the kind of artwork I need. What about you?

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