Fortunately I learned fairly early (but still later than I should have) that all of us is smarter than any of us. This I learned by getting married.

When I decided my husband was my “one and only,” I didn’t realize he was only half there and so was I. He was predominantly right handed (so left brained) and I was almost totally left handed (right brained). By the time we learned to “live and let live” we’d discovered we each had only half a brain and fortunately, together they formed one whole.

His half was all logic, reason and science. Mine was all imagination (metaphor and simile). So we had the fortuitous combination provided by a “Jack Sprat” type marriage. (“Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean; and so betwixt the two of them they licked the platter clean.”)

This was so true of us that I grew “fat” on my diet of fantasy while he grew ever leaner on his perpetual diet of logic.

Eventually we began to learn from each other’s “modus operandus” and when we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, each was halfway into the other’s territory. By 50 years, we’d met in the middle. We’re still learning, so by 75 years we may have completely changed places; he’ll be all imagination and I’ll be all reason. Be that as it may, we’ve both benefited by learning that neither of us is “all there” and we can always depend on the other to provide what we each lack personally.

We’ve decided this applies to everyone. No one person is “all there” and and this may be by design. We really do need each other. But in order for this design to be effective, each of us has to come to the conclusion that “all of us is smarter than any of us, including myself,” and be willing to learn from and accept the wisdom of each other.

How about you? Have you finally discovered you’re not all there? It’s time to grow. Trade your hubris for a strong dose of humility.

A longtime ago, someone told me I was a “colorful” character. If that were true, when I was younger, you should see me now. In “technicolor.” Notice my prominent blue veins liberally sprinkled brown age spots, my yellowing toenails, rosea-spotted face. I’m colorful alright. But personally, I prefer the younger paler version of myself.

However, I do prefer the older version of my “fruit.” My poetry has become deeper, my critical spirit more compassionate, my prose more philosophical, my personality more mellow, my outlook more hopeful and good humored, my husband more companionable and our children more tolerant. We’ve all still got a long way to grow. But there’s progress. There’s definitely progress.

Over the eighty years of my “pilgrim’s progress,” I’ve been old and I’ve been young. Young is definitely better.

I’ve been outspoken and I’ve been silent. Silent is much better. (Ask my spouse.) But I can’t be silent all the time, so allow me to speak a few words here.

Life is a journey. Choose your destination well. Select traveling companions wisely and Bon Voyage.

Does today’s art turn you on or off? Often I see people scratching their heads and/or turning thumbs down on the current art produced in this country. Some times I’m one of them. Sometimes not.

Art is supposed to reflect the culture of its time, so even what many of us consider “trash” is a legitimate statement of our current cultural state. It does appear to appeal to the status climbers and hypocrites (including many art critics) and others who have sold out to today’s prevailing culture. But what about “old fogies” like me?

In my eightieth season, wearing hearing aids, using a cane and dedicated to Jesus Christ, I am at best untouched by today’s art and at worst totally disgusted by it.

It’s not too surprising that an elderly Christian still hankering after honor, faithfulness, loyalty and other Christ and family centered qualities would find modern art a turn off. But not only am I an old Christian, I am also an old artist and much of today’s art repels me.

There is one notable exception, however: Religious stained glass.

The church windows of the last seventy five years I find not only beautiful, but a very profound statement of what our culture has done to Jesus Christ: cut him all to pieces. These windows, so pleasant to look at, consist of abstract designs containing many (although sometimes unrecognizable) religious symbols. Symbols include the Savior himself, crosses, angels, Bibles, doves, lambs, Mary, Joseph, the disciples, etc. They are both beautiful and interesting. But what are they trying to say?

They seem to me to be saying “Jesus is no longer really very relevant to our sophisticated, fast paced world. “We can only tolerate a little piece of Him and His message at a time and only if it is a shattered image.” This is truly an artist’s statement of our current culture. So it really is legitimate art.

To see Jesus “whole,” one must find a church with old windows and a Bible centered ministry. Otherwise the reductionists take over. Not only are the windows “little” pieces of art, often so are the messages. We are entertained, amused and tossed crumbs from psychology, philosophy, current dramas, movies, novels, comic strips, columnists, talk show celebrities, etc. We have very few “giants” in today’s art world and most people don’t acknowledge even the pygmies we do have. Our sermons are often watered down to the “lowest common denominator” to keep congregants happy.     But occasionally we are stretched by true giants. There are so few giants anymore. However I think I see a few theological literary giants coming down the E-mail chute now. Timothy Keller (The Reason for God and A Generous Justice), Brian Mclaren (A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy)  among others. And some old giants are still around, like Carl Jung, Rilke, Goethe, Shakespeare, Browning, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Mozart, etc.

But what happened to the power generated by the artists of the Renaissance? The Enlightenment took over and its light is weak and feeble by comparison. When the head directs creativity, it tends to generate hubris. When the heart is in control, it generates awe and reverence. Creators of our era make bigger and better bombs, smart phones and other destructive “works of art.”

No Michelangelo or da Vinci here. The true giants of art and music, like Michelangelo, da Vinci, Bach and Beethoven, have been replaced by pygmies like Andy Warhol, William DeKooning, Elton John and the rappers. Our art does reflect our degenerate society, does it not? It’s inspired by sex, money, politics, not by “a higher authority.” So much of it is mundane, uninspiring and totally forgettable, if not totally forgivable.
Or perhaps I’m just an old fogy. An aged, limping, Christian closer to eternity than most current popular artists. My trust and faith are not in modern art, but in the message of the cross, Jesus Christ: crucified, dead and resurrected, the most lasting and hopeful message ever penned, painted or sung. Elton John is just for today. Handel’s Messiah will still be sung with power when both Elton John and I and our “works of art” are dust. Vive′ le difference.

I keep a picture of the Joyful Christ in my wallet and my heart and look forward to the “new theology” of generosity with hope. Will you join me? Christ is still alive and whole wherever He is welcomed.