Art Reading Responses

One of the ideas suggested in Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture, which I wrote about in my first post, is to respond to scripture with art. So, since we have those art journals I created for our Art Fair, I decided that during our morning devotions today, we would each take some time to respond artistically to the passage -- at least visually artistically. (See this post at Creative Every Day to see why I make the "visually" artistic distinction.)

Of course, my three-year-old is too young to get it, but here is what the rest of us did with a basket of markers in response to Proverbs 18:

Something in the passage made DD8 think about Jesus dying on the cross and being put in the tomb. It might have been our discussion of verse 24: "And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Yes, I like the KJV:)  because we did end up talking about Jesus in relation to it.

DS11 responded to something that struck him funny.( Imagine!) I was tempted to be perturbed that he wasn't taking it seriously -- but then I'd have been judging his response, which would have been ever so wrong -- right?!?!? Anyway, he found it amusing to imagine verse 17: "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." The guy on the left is coming to search his neighbour with a magnifying glass! The big head at the top is what he sees upon close inspection:)

DD12 responded to verse 12: "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility."The colours on the bottom represent people who begin with humilty (humble, muted colours like brown and green) and are elevated (or honoured) to the bright, "poppy" colours. The bold colours on the top represent the haughty folk who are ultimately destroyed, as evidenced by the breaking apart of the checkers. Personally, I'm impressed:)

The verse that struck a chord with me was 21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Convicting simply as a person -- but even more so as a parent. Shame on me for the times my tongue has not been tamed to speak in love and gentleness, but rather in anger or harshness. No matter how often I seek forgiveness, the holes are still in the fence, so to speak. (If you're not familiar with the analogy -- imagine our ugly words as nails driven into a fence, which is another person's life. We can remove the nails by seeking forgiveness, but the holes remain as a permanent scar.)

Have you ever tried responding to scripture with art? I don't think I ever have before; but I really enjoyed it (though I confess I lamented my lack of portrait drawing skills). I imagine my DD8 would prefer to respond with dance or some sort of creative movement, although she does love creating visual art, too. What would be your preferred artistic response? Drama? Instrumental music? Song? Poetry? Pottery?