Ravenna, Italy
Ravenna was once an important Roman port city. As Christianity spread across Europe, the churches of Ravenna catalogued the shift from Byzantine to Renaissance art. Ravenna’s mosaics are famous examples of very early church decoration but they are not the only things worth seeing in this small town. Here are some pictures that show this shifting artistic representation.
When I see things like this and consider my initial feelings of amazement about the art and the artists, and I’m tempted to relish in and highly esteem them, I keep remembering the essence of the following admonition:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desire, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” [1Jn 2:15-17]
What are we to rightly do about our affections when it comes to such things, and maybe especially when the subject matter is about biblical interpretation or spiritual matters?
Also, there are these questions I have: One of my strong reactions to such pictures is that it seems so decadent, but then should I consider it any different than Solomon’s temple or was Solomon’s temple also decadent?
Yes Jerry & Lisa there are many unanswered questions in our gut responses.
Are these most amazing buildings expressions of love….. or advertisements of a grand misleading, preying on our communal desire to reach up to and touch for a moment the glimpses of wonder when our world is drab, grey, smelly ,incomplete and painful. There is refreshment and amazement and a potency about such skill and concentrated efforts by so many but at what cost and did God put the order in for it or did we decide on His behalf? Extravagant love Yeshua style is very much appreciative of His Father’s design being worked out in mankind’s hearts and from mankind hearts. Is that a building of bricks or stone?….A Temple of obedience, yes, but perhaps not for these places. This Kingdom is made of living stones put together fittingly for his purposes. Even a picture of wonder can be tinted when we add any thousand words we want to it. Elusive is truth in our meanings…. Shalom. Thanks for your thoughts. FJ
Art and literature give a culture its identity. The only hints we now have about what life was like at any point in history, is the artwork and literature our progenitors left behind. These also leave an emotional impression and perhaps a glimpse into how it ‘felt’ to live then. Without these works we wouldn’t understand ourselves or the evolution of our identity in the modern world. Culture today is built upon the bones of these historical works.
Makes me think about the children of Israel in the wilderness. God took them out of Egypt and then systematically created their identity as a culture that revolved around Him. God gave detailed instructions in the wilderness and covered everything; Art, Literature, Sceince, Politics, Spirituality, Societ, etc. He crafted them into a Culture. Makes me wonder…… Alas, I am always left with more questions than answers.
My wife and I were in Ravenna today, and we had some time to kill idols, er, I mean we had some idle time to kill, so I made sure we visited all the different sites Skip has on display here.
I don’t know if they are pleasing to God or not, but whatever they are, they are astounding to the fleshly eye. Millions of pieces of Mosaic in all their brilliance.
Yes, and important history in the development of the Western church. Glad you had time to see them.