Wealth and Wisdom, Beauty and Darkness
“Jesus looked at him, and loved him”
Reynier Llanes' "The Poet" (2021) offers a captivating exploration of the artist's journey, intersecting deeply with the themes of this week's scriptures – especially when we consider the artist as a kind of prophetic voice.
The figure's transparency suggests a dual nature: a vulnerability that allows for a deeper connection with the world, but also a sort of invisibility or diminishment – an evacuation of the self. This is the plight of the liminal figure, of one who walks between worlds: to be both transparent to what is, and also, in another sense, to be separated or abstracted from it.
We might consider the figure's solitary walk through the field to symbolize the search for meaning and purpose. The vibrant colors of the flowers could represent the beauty and potential of life, even amidst the challenges and limitations of mortality. Ultimately, we are invited into a space of introspection and contemplation to consider the role of ambiguous role of art in our own lives: on one hand, it is a form of riches and thus an enrichment; on the other, a burden
Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream
-Amos 5:24
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
O God, our refuge and strength, true source of all godliness: Graciously hear the devout prayers of your Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Scriptures
Amos 5:6–15
Psalm 90
Hebrews 3:1–6
Mark 10:17–31
She Walks in Beauty
Paul Mealor's arrangement of Lord Byron's poem "She Walks in Beauty" offers a haunting and evocative exploration of love and beauty. The video here is performed by Tenabre under the direction of Nigel Short.
The poem's themes of beauty, grace, and darkness resonate with the themes of justice, mortality, and wealth we read in our Scriptures for the week, particularly if we read the image of a woman "walking in beauty" as a metaphor for the divine, the transcendent, and the source of all goodness. The contrast between light and darkness, a central element of the poem, echoes the biblical themes of good and evil, light and darkness. The "night" in which the woman walks can be seen as a symbol of the human condition, a world often shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. The "stars that shine" represent the divine light that can illuminate even the darkest corners of our existence.
The poem's emphasis on "grace" and "gentleness" aligns with the scriptural call for compassion, mercy, and justice. The woman's beauty is not merely superficial but is rooted in her inner qualities, suggesting that true beauty is a reflection of the divine.
Tenabre's performance of Mealor's arrangement captures the delicate balance between light and darkness, beauty and sorrow. The harmonies are both ethereal and grounded, reflecting the complexity of the human experience. The arrangement's emotional intensity invites listeners to contemplate the nature of love, beauty, and the divine.
