Article June 17, 1985 Issue

Art, artists, and healing

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

Artists may be barometers of society's thought, mirrors of certain values, faithful reminders of humanity's sadnesses or joys. An artist may be a kind of scribe of the inner or outer world he sees, expressing it in special terms that awaken or surprise us. And at unique times an artist may aspire to be a prophet or healer, achieving something even more than a personal statement. Elements in the artist's work may begin to touch upon universal spiritual truths that spark and sustain within us a higher, spiritual goodness.

I believe I experienced this deeper spiritual dimension in a concert I attended. I had come to the concert in a mood of tension and frustration because of some personal difficulties I had had that day. As the musician played, I was almost overwhelmed with a wave of sudden love and joy that nearly brought me to tears. At that moment I deeply realized that my life could be more beautiful, more Christly—that I could and must devote myself to a more unselfish way of living the goodness and beauty I felt.

It was a special performance for me. Afterward, I learned that it was the habit of this particular artist to pray before he performed a concert, to dedicate his performance to God in gratitude and praise. The music itself would not be considered "religious." And yet the prayerful desire behind it had a distinctly healing effect upon this listener. To me, this illustrates a statement in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy: "Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love—be it song, sermon, or Science— blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ's table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty."^{Science and Health, p. 234.}