• Home
  • About
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Life with Jocelyn

Jocelyn Larsen

A word for my artist friends.

February 25, 2016 by Jocelyn 1 Comment

By Scan by NYPL [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.

John Adams

I heard this quote a long time ago. And I think of it often. Mostly, it makes me sublimely grateful not to have to study politics and war. At university I studied mathematics, and, well, genetics and cell biology. Now, I mostly get to study my children and literature and spiritual theology. Plus, I get to write a bit.

But my writing, as it is in the heart of any other artist, so much more than just artistic expression for the sake of artistic expression. As ‘the pen is mightier than the sword,’ my writing is, in my heart and mind and will, a pathway that forges into a full circle John Adams’ sagacious observation. My writing is intended to give voice and flesh and action to the people of the polis; it is a way of waging peaceful, bloodless war on the prevailing evil in this world. Let my art bring less politicking and more peace, thereby abolishing the need for future generations to study either.

Let my art move hearts and minds and wills to know and love more thoughtfully the One who made it all. Let my art move lives to be lived sacrificially for the sake of other humans, rather than for the sake of self. For to what other ends is all of this study, after all?

And let it be so for all who call ourselves poet and musician and architect and tapestrian and statuario and pastor and entrepreneur and educator and therapist and missionary and mother!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
What is church?
Conversion Obsession. Spiritual Formation Series, Part 2.

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    February 25, 2016 at 7:19 am

    J–Thanks so much for points-to-ponder. I love it! May I take pondering time.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to my email list to receive updates directly in your inbox, plus free giveaways along the way!

Recent Posts…

  • rhythms for when your former rhythms (i.e. attending church?) fall through… for whatever reason
  • “God bless”es
  • What kind of power do you have?
  • a poem for a glorious night
  • daily prayers
  • Beauty and Love chasing after me
  • waiting: if only I knew how long
  • Home
  • List of Blog Posts
  • Recent Blog Posts

© Copyright 2023 Life with Jocelyn · All Rights Reserved · Website via My Qoala.