TRUTH | New Age

 

 

 

"Don't look for me inside human shape. I am inside your looking"

-Rumi 

NEW AGE: Art to uplift humankind by portraying the higher spiritual nature of Man/Woman and the incredible beauty of Creation.

One of the things that people like to do today is cherry pick stuff. We cherry pick what COVID-19 rules work for us and when we want to follow them, we cherry pick our friends based on similar values and belief systems, we cherry pick religion to suit the one that fits us. This "mix and match" style goes to catering ourselves and what feels good to us, rather than God's law and order. It might just be a tweak here and a tweak there, but with each little tweak of God's word it ends up serving humanism. I wonder... does it even occur to use what's happening with culture?

Our culture has been fed lies for ages which we quickly adapt as new normals. We also embrace more and more sexual exploitation on t.v., social media and fashion without pushback. Our cultural blinders allow us to have so many changing opinions about faith & what suits us now, that we don't know where to stop and where the truth begins. In that sense, it's easy to see why one would turn away from God and religion from the outside. It's a lot to unpack and there's so many contradictions it just doesn't have the validation. On the inside, it appears that anything goes when it doesn't fit the culture anymore.

I suggest the New, New Age, or simply, back to the basics. We can intellectualize and interpret certain Biblical details all day long and get lost translating, or, we can ponder more on who Jesus is/was. Whether you're on the inside or outside of religion, it seems that the last thing people want today is to read the Bible. Especially between a normalized busy culture, closed churches (from Corona virus) and the constant supply of news, social media, & extra stresses of home life, our culture is losing sight of faith and Jesus has become an elephant in the room.

"Elephants" in the room are uncomfortable, awkward or challenging conversations we all come across from time to time, but we have two choices. We can either confront the "elephant", or avoid it. To confront an elephant requires energy and proper mental space to explore the situation at hand. Thus requiring self examination of one's mind and heart + critical thinking outside of the cultural perspective to truly see what is reality. In addition, one must be brave enough to ask, be focused on the truth and curious enough to follow each thought through. Of course one could always avoid the elephant, but subconsciously that takes on a toll on the mind and soul, casting us off on a different journey. To avoid an elephant also takes energy which ultimately ends up exhausting and feeling like you wasted time. So, why not dive in deep and talk?

There is NOT a single prerequisite one needs to have achieved or be in order to explore any of these paintings or who Jesus was. "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" (psalm 46:10). Dare yourselves and seek your own questions that are deep down inside. This portrait is not just a statement anymore, but now YOUR elephant in the room to convict. From what is said in the news and from politics to personal belief, this paintings' perspective was created to challenge us and reflect upon, rather than accepting everything that comes at us.

If you don't have a relationship with God, or it feels lost/broken or know where to start, just be silent for a few moments. I struggled reading the Bible a lot and never all the way through, till my pastor suggested that I only read the New Testament. It's a lot easier to read as it's pace is faster and contains the gospels which are the main points to dwell on and know.

Ask and explore ANY question no matter how it looks or feels. God gives us all answers in our own time if we stay open and connected to the journey of faith. The world depends on truth and you. Fear will always block you, but the truth will set you free.

 

ART HISTORY NOTE: New Age plays off of several concepts from metaphysics to naturalism to Buddhism and more. It's common to see Christians mix their belief's and values with those pertaining to the New Age. I've noticed many people cherry pick different religions and philosophy's and mix them into paintings. Symbolism is a big way that happens and we need to know what symbolism means and where it started.