In the Beginning

Piss Christ, Dung on the Virgin Mary, Yo Mama's Last Supper were highlighted in my university contemporary art class. Of the numerous visits over the past few years to modern and contemporary art museums, I cannot recall a single piece of art uplifting religion. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Tacoma Art Museum would be displaying 100 pages from the Bible.

Several calligraphers undertook hand copying the Bible in the tradition of scribes prior to the printing press. The project plan of this work made the Microsoft Vista project plan look like they were building a sandbox. Goose and swan feathers formed into quills and 1oo year old ink sticks were the primary tools for writing. Calf skin stretched into vellum forms each page. The project is known as Illuminating the St. John's Bible.

The precision and elegance of each word in this nearly billion word project blew me away. The Word is illuminated with pictures reflecting upon the text. Genesis begins with seven strips highlighting the seven days of creation as one example.

The power of this exhibits goes far beyond the artistic mastery. In the appendix of The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer describes the Bible as "...not 'just a religious book'; the Bible is rooted in space-time history and speaks of the totality of reality" The Bible has given truth to people in 1500 B.C. and truth to people today in the 21st century.

Calligraphy has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. Wyatt was inspired by someone doing calligraphy of the book of John and Deuteronomy 17:18 to produce a copy of some scripture by hand. We are hoping to create an illuminated work of a few of the New Testament books. We will forgo the quill and calfskin for cartridge filled pens and parchment most likely.

The exhibit of the St. John's bible will be in Tacoma through the end of September and a few other cities. I highly recommend checking it out.




Thought for the Day: When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, "It is talking to me, and about me." ~ Soren Kierkegaard