I recently had an interesting conversation with my friend Jody. We were talking about music and music videos. We both agreed that videos rob a song of its imagery and creative impact. I mentioned how if I read a poem to a group of people that described, say, a flower, each person in that group would likely have a different image of what that flower "looked" like. Yet, if I put those words into a video format, then whatever I "see" the flower to be is the mental image that all who see the video will have. And not only then when they first see the video, but each time that they would read the original poem the mental image that popped into your head would match what the video showed us the flower looked like. The creativity of making a video actually can hinder the imagination of those touched by the song that the video represents.
All of this moved me to consider the role of interpretation and the teaching of Christ's words. I have participated in group exercises of the spiritual practice known as Lectio Divina. Each time, I leave those sessions astounded at how the same text can have so many meanings to different people. Encompassing all of this is the importance of the Holy Spirit. It is critical that the Spirit of Christ be present so that Scripture not be interpreted in a way that is abusive or harmful. It is encouraging to me to remember that God's word is living and active, and has meaning and relevance for each of our lives. Truly, the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. And He still dwells among us yet today.
A conversation about old MTV videos leads me to . . . Emmanuel, God with us. AMEN.
No comments:
Post a Comment