Blades of Grass

"If we study Japanese Art, we see a man who is undoubtedly wise, philosophic and intelligent, who spends his time doing what? In studying the distance between the earth and moon? No. In studying Bismark's policy? No. He studies a single blade of grass."  
  -- Vincent Van Gogh

In a fit of stupidity I agreed (several months ago) to participate in an art show. The show is on June 5. As of right now I'm about 3/4 finished with the second of five pieces we're supposed to provide. My primary discipline is painting, and I use acryllics, so I can't even say that I have to wait for the paint to dry and that's what is taking so long. I do have an innate tendency to paint things that are complicated, or very detailed (as a euphemism). Lately, though, I find myself drawn to simpler style. I also find that I enjoy a simpler style. 

The more contemplative my spirituality becomes I notice a tension between it and daily life. Of course, this shouldn't be. Hopefully it's just growing pains. The tension is that a contemplative life demands simplicity and our modern Western culture is anything but. Interiorly there is a longing to simplify the exterior in the same way that the interior simplifies.

When I say "simple" I don't mean "dumbed-down". I mean "essential". To simplify our lives means to get down to the essence of what life is, of what life is about. St. Augustine once said, "Love God, and do what you will." This is a terribly misunderstood and ill-used quote. It doesn't mean pay lip-service to God and then do whatever you want. It means that if you truly love God and order your life toward that love; then do what you will, because it is done in the context of Love of God. In this sense life suddenly becomes very simple. All the things our culture has reared us to worry about can fall away. They can fall because they don't matter, they never did.  

What does this have to do with Asian brush painting or blades of grass? Go back to the top and read the Van Gogh quote again. It's about how we clutter our lives with so many concerns that we don't notice the essence of what we are trying to depict. In the Taoist and Buddhist traditions harmony with nature is paramount, so the artist who is trying to depict nature studies nature. He doesn't just study nature, he contemplates the essence of nature. Anything that distracts him falls away as unimportant. In the Christian tradition we also want a harmony with creation but this comes from being united to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Anything that distracts us needs to fall away. We are trying to capture the essence of Christ in our lifes. We are trying to depict Christ in our lives, by our lives. This is what Van Gogh is getting at (well, maybe, but probably not).

The Buddhist painter contemplates the blade of grass in an effort to know the essence of that blade so that when he paints it one brush stroke tells us more about the grass than an entire book on horticulture. He is not trying to mimic the grass, he is trying to depict the grass: huge difference. 

The Christian contemplates the mysteries of Christ. He contemplates so that he becomes that single brush stroke. Our effort is not to mimic Christ, that is only surface, it's fake. We want to depict Him. In our lives we want to breathe the very essence of Christ; "Your will be done..." To do this we have to strip away the fascade and get to Who Christ is, not what we want Him to be or imagine Him to be to satiate our (to copy a new term) "therapudic deism". We want the brush stroke to be so complete in its understanding that in a single stroke is contained the will of God.